Double Trouble
by Katie Bell
Summary: Magical twins with a mysterious past and an interesting future...
1. Opening Moves

Double Trouble 1

Opening Moves

From the day that we were born, fifteen minutes apart, James and I were together.The two of us did everything together and were the best of friends.Which was just as well, because we didn't have any other friends.We were the only wizard kids in the area, and there weren't many people in the village below our house anyway.We mostly stayed home and wandered the house and land around it.We never missed having friends, either.

Our house was huge and old, at least three hundred years old.Mum said that some bits of it were far older than that.It sat high up a hill, with woods and a lake and a great meadow behind it, and the village two miles away, along a windy and bumpy dirt road.Whenever we had to go anywhere further than the village, Mum got out our car –it was at least thirty years old and coming to pieces, but it still worked –and drove.But she didn't like to drive so we never went far.

We didn't care though; the land around our house was more than enough to occupy even inquisitive people like us.And although we didn't often see the villagers, they knew us and tolerated us."There go James and Lily again," they'd say when we ran through their gardens after a rabbit or a runaway kite or some such thing.

Mum taught us everything.Really everything, I mean, not just the things that all mothers teach their kids. She taught us spells and potions, history and astronomy, how to fly a broom and how to use Floo powder.She didn't wait until we were eleven to start teaching us, either.We enjoyed the lessons that she taught us.Homeschooling is great.If it was a lovely spring day, we'd forget about the werewolf codes and goblin uprisings in our books and go outside to learn the various herbs and fungi in our garden, their use and tending.Or we'd hike through the forest, looking for traces of unicorns or other magical beasts.Mum said she was fairly sure that there were unicorns in the forest, and once James and I thought we saw a bird that might have been a phoenix.

Anyway, we had a great mother.Not many kids have a mother who was more fun and involved than ours.She did all sorts of things with us, and let us do things like staying up until midnight sometimes.In fact, she was just about perfect.Which was just as well, because we didn't have a dad.

That's the one thing that she refused to tell us, no matter how many times we asked her.She said that we were born on June 21, 1982. Since then, we had had about as good a life as anyone can, except for the fact that we had no dad.Well, of course, we knew we must have had a father, but not who he was, or what he did, or if he was alive.We discussed it and James thought that either he was someone who was already married, or that he was a Muggle and left Mum when he found out she was a witch.That happens. I didn't quite think so, somehow.James was pragmatic; I had a romantic mind and loved fantasy.So I had dreams that our father was some really important person who'd been kidnapped or something, and that one day he'd come back and take us all to live in a palace or somewhere like that.Or else that he had been a dark wizard who had fallen in love with Mum and reformed, only to be killed by his old associates when he tried to leave, and that Mum didn't tell us because she couldn't bear to think of him.I knew even then that my fantasies were ridiculous.But you'd think that kids have a right to know who their dad is, right?Anyway, we knew that there was some mystery in Mum's past. For one thing, the only friend she had was Remus Lupin, or Uncle Remus, as we called him. There was some mystery about him too, but we didn't have a clue as to what it might be.For a while we thought he might be our father, but we look nothing like him, and when we asked Mum she said no.And sometimes she'd just cry for no reason.We noticed that it tended to happen a lot toward the end of October, and sometimes in August, but there were other times, too.

On our eleventh birthday, Mum took us to Diagon Alley to get us wands.Until now she'd let us practice using her wand, but she said that we were old enough to get our own now.First we went to Gringotts bank.James and I had never been there, and we were so engrossed in looking around that we were almost left behind when the goblin led us to the little cart.That ride was exciting, almost as good as a game of broom tag, and when we finally stopped in front of a vault, I was a little disappointed.The goblin opened the vault, and Mum scooped gold into her bag.I caught a glimpse of it, and was quite amazed.The vault was very full of gold and silver.We must be incredibly rich, so why did we live in a house that was falling to bits, with a broken down car, instead of somewhere fashionable?Just one more mystery to add to the list.

James and I didn't speak as we headed down the street to Ollivanders.I looked at Mum.She was a bit pale; I hoped that she was feeling all right. We opened the door of the little shop.It was very dark inside. The little man behind the counter looked up as we came in.

"Ah, yes," he said quietly."I though you'd be coming in soon. I still remember when you came in.Rowan and phoenix feather, eleven inches?"

"Yes," Mum said tightly."James and Lily need wands today."

"Of course," the little man said."I never forget a wand, or a face," he said as he pulled out his tape and started measuring James' wand."Never."

"I know," Mum said quietly."I've been told that."

"Thirteen inches, oak and dragon heartstring, I think," Ollivander muttered to himself.I was looking at Mum at that moment, and was surprised to see her face go white as the ghost in our grandfather clock.For a moment, I thought that she might say something, but she didn't.Mr. Ollivander started measuring me now.When he was done, he started pulling down boxes.

"Try this," he said, handing a wand to James and another to me.I waved mine and tried to get some sparks out of it.A few came out, but I could have done a lot better on Mum's wand.

"Definitely not," Ollivander said, snatching the wands out of our hands and replacing them.

We went through dozens of wands that day, trying to find one. Finally, James had a twelve-inch beech and unicorn hair wand, and I had a ten-inch rowan and phoenix feather.Mum paid for them and we walked out of the shop.As soon as we were outside, she seemed to relax.

"Let's go for an ice cream," she said, leading us down the street to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, where we sat and enjoyed triple-chocolate fudge-nuts delights.Then it was off, down the streets again.We stopped and peered at the display in Flourish and Blotts.It was very interesting; a large cage full of books sat in the window.The books appeared to be trying to rip each other to shreds.Mum laughed and we passed on.

She didn't let us anywhere near Knockturn Alley.I'd heard that sometimes kids tried to go down, just to see what was down there, but she wouldn't even turn her back on us until we were well away from the dark and dingy lane.So James and I just stared at all the sights.Finally, we went back out through the Leaky Cauldron and headed home.

I must say that it was a bit disappointing to us when we really understood that we wouldn't go to Hogwarts, but we'd gotten over that when we were nine, and we loved our life so much that we would hardly have wanted to change it for anything.Shortly after our trip to Diagon Alley, Uncle Remus came for a visit.He brought James and me a wizard chess set for a birthday present and taught us how to play.We really liked it, but sometimes I'd get tired of it before James, and then he'd try his best to get me to play more anyway.One day, I just refused.Uncle Remus said he wouldn't, so James asked Mum if she'd play.She just stared out the window, not making any response.James asked her again.

"No," she said, quietly."I don't play."She kept looking out at the rain, and her hand tightened on the curtain.

The reason that Uncle Remus had come to visit was to tell us that he had gotten a job.He was to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts.

"I am looking forward to it," he said one evening at the end of July."I think I'll enjoy it greatly."

"You aren't worried about Snape?" Mum asked.

"Don't worry. Dumbledore's spoken to all the staff.Snape will just have to deal with it."He paused a moment."Harry will be there."James and I looked up from our game, anxious to hear more.Harry who?We didn't know any Harry.

"You don't think he could mean _the_ Harry?" James asked.

"Harry Potter?"I thought for a moment."Maybe.He'd be at Hogwarts now, wouldn't he?"

"Yeah," James said, staring off into space as he calculated."He'd be older than we are, but not too much older. Sometimes I wish we were going, you know?It might be fun to be around other kids like that."

"We'd have to leave home, though," I said."And I think Mum would get lonely.Anyway, she's teaching us everything we need to know."Then Mum noticed us still hanging around and sent us off to bed.

Next day, when we came down, I grabbed the paper from the delivery owl as usual.I liked reading the papers myself, and usually I tried to do so before breakfast.Today, the whole front page was just three words: **Black Escapes Azkaban!**I went into the kitchen where Mum and Uncle Remus were already eating.

"Someone escaped Azkaban!" I yelled excitedly."I didn't know that was possible."

"Who?" Uncle Remus asked immediately.

"Some guy name Black.I don't think I've ever heard of him. What did he do?"But Uncle Remus had leapt up and snatched the paper from me.He started rifling through the pages, Mum leaning over his shoulder, looking pale.

"Got out last night somehow," Uncle Remus muttered."Says they're looking for him… very dangerous… they think they'll get him soon…I wish that I was so confident.They know he's dangerous, at least.How did he get out?"The adults stared at each other.I didn't know what to make of it.Both of them were very white.

"You don't think he'll come here?"Mum asked.

"No," Uncle Remus said, though he didn't look very confident."I'm sure the Ministry will…" his eyes fell on James and me.We were both drinking in every word.

"Don't worry," he said gently."Black will never get anywhere near here.The Ministry will get him fast enough."For some reason, his words didn't seem to make him very happy.Mother was touching something on a chain round her neck.I'd seem her do that once or twice before, but I didn't know what it was.

"Who –what did he do?" James asked.

"Sirius Black – worked for Voldemort," Uncle Remus said slowly."He killed a lot of people, years ago.Before you were born."

"A dark wizard got out of Azkaban?" I asked."He might kill someone!"

"They'll catch him," Uncle Remus repeated."Why don't you two have breakfast now?"We sat at the table.Mum was still staring out of the window.

"Do you think he'll come here?" James asked her."Is that why you keep looking out the window?"

"What?" she asked."Oh, no, he won't.He won't, don't worry."She hurried from the room.James and I stared after her.

"Why did she do that?" I wondered aloud.Uncle Remus began to follow her. 

"Stay here," he said.For once, we did as he said and left them alone.I knew that this was no time for us to interrupt.

"Maybe she knew one of the people who Black killed," I suggested."Maybe I was right!"

"About what?" James asked.So I told him my idea that our father could have been a reformed dark wizard.He laughed.

"Right, Lily, that's so likely.Why don't we look at the papers?"So we started reading.Some of it was very interesting stuff that we'd never heard.

"I always thought that when You-Know-Who left, his followers all gave up," I said."Didn't know that any of them stuck around and fought."

"He looks insane," James said, pointing to a photo of a man, just laughing and laughing."This says it was taken just after he massacred those people."Next to that photo was one of Black now.He was spectrally thin, pale and his dark hair was matted in tangles.You couldn't see where his beard left off and hair began; it had to be elbow length.His sunken eyes shone out of the photograph as he blinked slowly.

"I don't like the look of him," I said.

"No," James said."Azkaban sure didn't do much for him, did it?"

"Those Dementors," I said with a shiver.We'd read about them, but Mum didn't like talking about them."I will never go there."

"Don't worry, Lily, good people don't go to Azkaban.It's not like either of us would ever kill thirteen people with a single curse."

"He must have been a very powerful wizard," I said.Just then, two owls flew in and dropped letters on our heads.Two of the letters were for Mum; the other was addressed to 'Professor R. J. Lupin."

"Think we should disturb them?" I asked.James was examining the letters.

"These come from the Ministry!" he said, holding up one of mum's letters and the one for Uncle Remus."And this one –it's from Professor Dumbledore!"Even if we weren't going to be attending Hogwarts, we still knew who Dumbledore was.

"Letters?" Mum asked.We turned and saw her in the door, and handed her the letters.

"Why don't you two go play?" she asked."It's a nice day."

"Right," James said."We'll be in the woods if you need us.

"Why the woods?" I asked when she had gone, taking the letters with her."I thought we might go swimming or something."

"They can't see us in the woods," James said."So we can sneak back and see if we can find out what's going on."

"James, as much as I want to know what's going on too, I don't think we should spy.I think this is important to Mum.If she wants us to know, she'll tell us."

"She'll tell us," he said."Right.Just like she's told us everything we've asked her."

"James, she always tells us things that we need to know."

"So why won't she tell us who our father is?Or whether we have any other relatives –I know that her parents were killed, but maybe we have cousins or something – or what she hides in that secret cupboard we can't open, or why the only visitor we ever have is Uncle Remus, or why she won't send us to Hogwarts-"

"I know, James.I want to know, too.But there must be a reason why she won't tell us," I said."We should respect her wishes."

"Oh, come on," he said, rolling his eyes at me."Since when have you been like this?"

"Besides," I said, rationally. "I can see them watching us out the window.We'd best get going."

"Fine," James grumbled as we headed off for the forest.

We got back around lunchtime.Mum met us at the door.

"I have to go down to London," she said. She had a strange look on her face, as if she were anticipating something horrible that was about to happen to her.Somehow, she looked as if she had aged ten years in the last hour."Remus will look after you.I won't be back until tomorrow."We stared at her.She'd never left us overnight before.

"All right," James said uncertainly.

"Have a nice trip," I added.She nodded, then Apparated away.As she was leaving, I almost thought that I saw tears in her eyes.

"Where did she go?" I asked Uncle Remus.

"She had to see someone," he said evasively."I have to leave tomorrow, guys.Do you want to do anything special?"

"Can we play broom tag?"I asked, naming one of my favorite games.He smiled.

"I can try," he said."I'll need to borrow your mother's broom.Think she'll mind?"

"No," James said."It's ancient, anyway.Has to be older than we are."He got it out of the closet and handed it over.Uncle Remus inspected it.Something about him seemed very sad, as he looked over the broom.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it were older than you two," he said quietly. 

"I told her she should get a new one so she can keep up when we play," I said."But she said no."

"Well, your mother has her reasons," Uncle Remus said.He smiled."And besides, I don't think she needs anything special to keep up with you.She's a fabulous flyer."

We played until it got dark, and then came in for dinner.Mum had left food for us, and we had a nice dinner.Afterwards, James and I played chess together for hours.After a while, we got Uncle Remus to play against the two of us.We managed to beat him, but it wasn't very easy.

"Did you let us win?" James asked suspiciously.

"No," he said."I'm not that good a player, myself.I always liked watching, though."His words trailed off and he stared into the night.Something distant seemed to be in his eyes."It's rather late, isn't it?You two should go to bed."We protested a little, but gave up quickly.

"I wonder where Mum is," James said as we brushed our teeth.

"So do I," I agreed."I hope she will get back early tomorrow."When we went to bed, I stared out the window at the stars.They were very bright and the sky wasn't cloudy at all.I wondered if our mother was looking at the stars now.I wondered if the escaped prisoner, Sirius Black, noticed the stars, or if he didn't care for their beauty.I wondered if he'd been caught yet.And I wondered what the secret was that Mum seemed to hide.

Mum got back after lunch the next day.She looked exhausted.

"I'm fine, dears," she assured us when we asked her.

"What did you do?" I asked her.

"I had to see someone," she said."Where's Remus?"

"I'm here," he said, coming into the room. "I suppose I should go now.I do want to be to London before dark."

"When will you come back?" James asked.

"I'll visit you again next summer, okay?" he asked with a smile.

"I hope you have a nice time teaching," I said.

"I do too," he said."Do you think the students will like me?"

"If they don't, they're idiots," James said firmly."Write to us."

"I will," he promised."Will you be all right, Jenny?" he asked Mum.

"Yes, Remus," she said quietly.

"Remember to contact me if you need me," he said.He picked up his bags and turned to go.

The summer went quickly after that.The papers kept talking about Sirius Black, how he hadn't been captured yet, how he had killed thirteen people all those years ago.Apparently Black's escape was the only thing to happen that summer.

In November, the Daily Prophet screamed the news that Black had been at Hogwarts.He'd apparently tried to break into one of the Houses 'for what nefarious purpose, we can only guess,' as the paper put it.Mum read the article and her face grew hard, but she didn't say anything to us.

Christmas at our house is wonderful. We decorated the whole huge place, cellar to rafter, with greenery and trees and holly.Mum let James and me enchant up a magical warm snowfall to frost the large tree in our big library.We made garland of popcorn and cranberries and hung it from the ceiling, and frosted silver patterns onto the windows.And then, three days before Christmas, snow fell and covered the ground, three inches deep.James and I spent all day outside, throwing snowballs at each other.Mum joined us now and again, but she had lots to do to get ready for Christmas.All day Christmas Eve the smell of good food drifted through the house, while Mum and James and I ran around with bags and bows and presents, trying not to let the others see what we held.

I'd hidden a gift for James in the library months ago.There were many different secret passages, cupboards and hidey-holes in our house.James and I knew most of them, but I thought that he didn't know about this one.Unfortunately, I'd forgotten exactly where it was.I knew that you opened it by stepping on a certain stone in the floor, but the library was immense and there were hundreds of stones in the floor.So I started stepping on all of them.

Halfway through, one opened to reveal a hole.I reached down to get the package out, but realized that this was not the hiding place I had used.My hand touched something that felt like paper.I pulled it out.It was a photograph, a little dingy with age, but obviously a wizard photo.The picture showed a girl and a boy with their arms around each other, laughing.The girl had short dark hair; the boy's dark hair was longer than the girl's.They somehow looked familiar.

Suddenly I realized that if the girl in the picture had longer hair and was fifteen years older, she'd be my mother.I had never seen any pictures of my mother as a girl.I peered closer, and thought that perhaps the boy looked like James.Could this be a photograph of my father?I didn't know.

Footsteps outside jerked me back to reality.I shoved the picture back into the hole, sealed the stone back, and stood.I had a book in my hands when Mum came in, arms full of gifts.As she put them under the tree, I determined that I would come back to look at the picture some time when I didn't have to worry about being disturbed.

"James."I whispered softly, as it was nearly midnight, and I didn't want to wake my mother. "James."My brother blinked and opened his eyes.

"What is it?" he mumbled."Go away."

"James, I want you to come with me.I found something in the library today and want to show it to you."

"Now?" he said, squinting at the clock.

"Yes, now," I said, pulling him from his bed.He groaned, but followed as I crept down the hall.

"I know it's here," I muttered, pacing the library."Ah!"I stepped on the right stone and pulled out the picture again, handing it to James.

"A photograph," he said."You woke me up for this?"

"Look at it!" I hissed."That's Mum!"

"Really?" he stared closer."It is! And –that boy in the picture with her-"

"He does look a bit like you, doesn't he?" I asked.

"A bit, I think," James said."It's hard to tell.You think he might be our father?"

"It's possible," I said."What do you think?"

"I've seen this face somewhere else," he said slowly."I know I've seen it, but it looked different. Blast, I can't remember."He gave me the picture and I looked at it again.Both the figures were laughing.

"I wonder what happened," I mused."If this is our father, I mean.They look so happy here."

"We'd better get back to bed," the ever practical James reminded me."We'll want to be up early tomorrow."

"All right," I said.

We got up very early and went into our mother's room to wake her up.

"Merry Christmas!" we called together.She sat up.As she did so, her nightgown slipped down her shoulder.I caught a glimpse of a shiny scar on her shoulder, and a flash of gold around her neck._That was a burn scar_, I realized. _She never said anything about being burnt like that._

"Let's get breakfast," she said.We followed eagerly, with me adding two new bits of data to my list of clues to my mother's past; she had once been badly burnt, and she wore something on a gold chain around her neck.

The year turned and hurried by, month after month.James and I began to roam further afield again in March, when the weather became warmer.One day toward the end of the month, we were exploring a part of the woods we hadn't been before when we heard strange noises off to one side.Being curious, James went to investigate, and I followed in case he needed help. 

The noise was being caused by a large hawk.Its wing was broken and it had gotten itself caught in a thicket of thorns.

"Oh, poor thing," I said."Let's take it to Mum.She can fix that wing."

"How are we supposed to get it out of the thorns and home without it killing us?" James asked."It's a wild bird."

"I'll stay with it," I said."You go get Mum.She won't want it to die."

"All right," he said, and ran off.I sat quietly by the bird, which had stopped struggling and was resting.

I heard a noise behind me and turned to look at what I had thought were empty woods.Suddenly, a centaur stepped from behind the trees.She looked like a young female.

"Oh," she said."I did not know there were any humans here."She started to back up, into the deep woods.

"I didn't know any of you lived here," I said, unable to keep from staring at the creature. I'd never seen a centaur except in books.

"We do not," she said."But the stars are unclear these days.We are divided over what they portend.I have come here because I believe that the message the stars bear for me is that it is my purpose to come here at this time."

"I see," I said, not seeing at all.

"My name is Adhara, human girl.What is yours?"

"Lily," I said."What kind of things do the stars say?"

"We do not always tell humans what is written in the stars," she said."But even humans should be able to tell that great events are about to occur, or are occurring even now."

"Not here," I laughed."Nothing ever happens here, or to us."

"So you believe," she said."But how do you know what will happen a month from now?"I stared at her, my mouth open.She turned again."I must go," she said. "Remember two things; trust your heart, not your mind, and remember that things are never as simple as they seem.If you need me, I shall know, and shall come to you." She slipped off into the trees.I stared after her.What a confusing creature.Still, it isn't every day that you meet a centaur.

James and Mum arrived a moment later.Mum had her wand and turned at once to the wounded bird.

"Yes," she murmured, "the wing is broken.I'll help her."

"I thought it was a male," James said.

"Not this bird," Mum said."She's a young female.Probably too young to have a nest of her own, yet.We'll take care of her until she's strong enough to fly again.She won't be able to use that wing for a while." She had put a spell on the bird's wing to set the bone and to bind it.Now she magicked a cage around her, and picked the cage up."Shall we go home?"

"Do you think she can fly today?" I asked Mum as we fed Adhara – for that was what I had decided to call the bird, in memory of the centaur.I hadn't told James or our mother about meeting the centaur, though.I felt that it was a private matter, not something I needed to tell everyone.

"I think she just might be strong enough," Mum said."She's certainly healthy, isn't she?" We'd cared for her two months and more.Now it was late June and it was time for Adhara to fly on her own.She sat on my arm as we carried her outside to the meadow behind our house.James started to coax her to fly, but she didn't move.

"Throw her up in the air," Mum suggested at last.I did as she said.Adhara seemed surprised for an instant.Then she spread her great wings and began to fly.

"She can fly!She can fly!" James and I shouted.We stared as she lazily soared and dove in the air.

"Oh, come back!" I shouted as she flew away.

"Adhara's a wild thing, Lily," Mum said gently."Wild things are best let free."

"But I liked her," I said, crying.

"Let her choose," Mum said.I nodded.I couldn't see her any more, so I turned to go inside.Halfway to the house, I felt a wind past my cheek, and turned to see Adhara flying by.She circled and turned to land on my shoulder.

"You came back!" I shouted. " She likes us!"

"Well," Mum said, "If she wants to, she can stay."

Can you tell where I'm going?Do you know who the twins' father is?I rather think it's obvious, but that just gives it dramatic irony, I guess.Anyway, all will be revealed soon enough.I hope I'm not confusing anyone here. Everything will be explained soon, so if you didn't get anything, that's because I haven't told you yet.And for this story to really make any sense to you, you should have read my Magical Mischief Makers stories.Be sure to tell me what you think on your way out!


	2. Castle Queen's Side

# Double Trouble 2

**Castle** **Queen's** **Side**

Summer rolled around, and James and I spent hours and hours out of doors.In late June, the papers were screaming about how a professor at Hogwarts had captured Sirius Black but that somehow he had managed to escape.

"That's amazing," James commented as we read through the article."He must be a very powerful Dark Wizard to get into Hogwarts.All the books make it sound like an impregnable fortress."

"He had to be powerful to get out of Azkaban," I reminded James."Why do you think he waited so long?It's got to be horrid there."

"Maybe it had something to do with Voldemort," James mused."Maybe he's going to try to come back."

"Don't you think he'd have come by now if he were planning to?" I asked.

"Maybe he couldn't," James said."It's been a long time, but maybe he's just been waiting."

"Let's not think about that," I said, shivering."What Black did was bad enough, but Voldemort…." I trailed off.

"Yeah," James said."And you know they didn't send all of Voldemort's old supporters to prison, like they did Black.Some of them are still out there."

"Those are mostly the ones who Voldemort bewitched," I reminded James."All the really dedicated ones are in Azkaban."

"Except Sirius Black," James pointed out.

"They'll catch him soon, surely," I said."I wonder how he escaped when he was captured at Hogwarts?"

"Dark magic," my brother said assuredly."Had to be."

"Minister Fudge thinks they'll get Black soon," I read.

"What's that about Fudge?" Mum walked into the room.

"Oh, he thinks they'll get Black soon," I said.

"What's the 'Dementor's Kiss'?" James asked, reading farther on in the article.Mum stood very still for a moment, then spoke slowly.She seemed to be trying her best to keep a tight hold on herself.

"The Dementor's Kiss is very likely the worst thing that can ever be done to a person," she said. "The Dementors are terrible things.They take all the happiness and joy from people just by being around them, and cause us to remember the worst moments of our lives."She stopped for a moment.Tears glistened in her eyes."The Dementor's Kiss is its worst weapon.The Kiss – destroys a person's soul, completely destroys it.The victim will live, or at least keep breathing, but everything that makes him human is gone."James and I both shivered.

"That's horrible," I said."But I think if anyone deserves it, Black does."

"Does he?" Mum asked slowly.She didn't even seem to be talking to us."Does anyone?"

"But Black killed all those people! He deserves it." James declared.

"You can say that because you don't know anything," Mum said sharply."Everything's simple until you know all the facts. Then nothing is ever so clear cut."She turned her face away from us."It's a nice day.Why don't you two and Adhara go hiking?"

"That's what we had planned," I confirmed."We'll take a lunch and be gone all day."

"That sounds fine," Mum said.She moved off slowly.

"I told you that that way was longer," I said sharply to James as we approached the house.It was quite dark out."Good thing the moon was full just a few days ago, or we'd have had some real trouble."

"Look, if you hadn't insisted on stopping so many times-"

"Twice!" I said."Wait a minute – look!" I pointed up to the house. Lights were on in the kitchen and I could see silhouettes.Mum was there, and so was someone else.They seemed to be talking animatedly, with many gestures.We hurried up to the side door and pushed it open.The other person was Uncle Remus.

"Uncle Remus!" we yelled together, dropping the basket and going to embrace him.He laughed.

"Nice to see you too," he said.

"Aren't you supposed to be at Hogwarts?" I asked.

"I resigned," he said softly."I came here on my way home because I had some news for your mother." James and I turned to look at Mum.She had tears in her eyes, but she was smiling.She looked happier than I'd ever seen her.Quite clearly round her neck I could see a chain with two rings on._That's what she wears, _I thought_.She's always had it inside her shirt before._ One ring was plain gold; the other had a shining stone I thought might be a diamond.

"James, Lily," she began, then started crying again."Sit down here.I have something important to tell you."We sat, staring curiously at each other.

"I want to tell you about your father," she said through her tears.I thought my jaw would drop off, I was so surprised._Our father? Really?_ She began to speak again.

"When I was at Hogwarts, I had a number of very good friends.Remus was one, of course.Two of the others, I named you for.Lily was like a sister to me, and James, who married her, was like a brother.

"James' best friend was Sirius Black."

"The murderer?" James yelled excitedly. "You knew him?"

"Yes," Mum said."But he wasn't a murderer."She smiled weakly through her tears."That's what Remus came to tell me.Sirius Black is an innocent man."

"So why'd he get sent to Azkaban?" James asked.I was silent, trying to think through her words and understand what she was really saying.

"It's a long story," Uncle Remus said."But he's not a murderer, or a traitor.Another of our friends was the one who actually did the deeds, but people think he's dead."

"Unfortunately, we can't convince the Ministry right now that Sirius is innocent," Mum said."But at least we know."Suddenly, with a burst of understanding, I knew what she had not yet said.

"Is Sirius Black our father?" I asked slowly.Mum smiled a bit. 

"He is," she said."We were married only a few months before he was sent to Azkaban.I had just found out that I was pregnant with you two.Sirius doesn't even know about you two –unless you mentioned that when you saw him?" she asked, darting a glance at Remus.

"No," he said, shaking his head."I didn't exactly have the chance."

"Well, when we get him off, it'll be a nice surprise, I hope," she said.

"How are you going to get him off?" James asked.

"I don't know," Mum admitted, "But we are.Thirteen years is long enough."Uncle Remus laughed and shook his head admiringly.

"I was wondering where you'd been," he said.

"What on earth do you mean?" Mum asked, staring at him.

"Oh, Jenny, it's been such a long time since you've had such determination.You remind me of how you used to refuse to admit defeat at chess, even when it was hopeless, or that Quidditch match when Gryffindor was down by two hundred points."

"Well, I'm not going to let that idiot get himself killed!" Mum declared fiercely. "I knew he had no sense when I married him.That's why I married him, so that he wouldn't get himself killed."

"Oh, really?" Uncle Remus looked interested."That's not why you said you married him all those years ago."

"Well, that was part of the reason," she said, laughing."So we need a plan."

"Sirius asked me to explain things to you," he said."He wrote a letter to me, letting me know that he was safe.If we can get an owl to him…"

"I'm sure our post is being read," Mum said."I know the Ministry isn't supposed to do that, but Fudge doesn't really trust me.Idiot."

"And Snape will have people watching me, reading my mail, probably sneaking around my house," Uncle Remus said."We'll set up some spells so that if Sirius does come here, the Ministry won't be able to tell."

"If he keep his head and comes as a dog," Mum began.Then she stopped."No, you said Snape knows about the Animagus thing?"

"He does."

"I still can't believe that I didn't know about that," Mum muttered."We were married and he didn't even tell me!I wonder if Lily knew."

"I think she did," Uncle Remus said.I realized, of course, that they weren't talking about me, but about Mum's old friend.I didn't understand most of the conversation, but it was interesting.

"I'll find his wand and stuff, in case he shows up," Mum said."I've got them all, stored them away years back."

"Do you have the motorcycle?" Uncle Remus asked.

"I'd almost forgotten about that," Mum mused."Yes, I've got it.Hagrid gave it back to me.He was one of the ones who knew that Sirius and Iwere married, you know.But he never said anything to me that made it seem that he thought I might be involved with Voldemort, not like the Minister.I wish we could tell him the truth."

"Soon everyone in England –in the world –will know that Sirius is innocent, Jenny," Uncle Remus promised.

"I hope so," she said sitting down. She sat down at the table, pulled her necklace up to look at the rings.With a laugh, she took them off the chain and put them on her finger. 

"I kept them all these years," she said sadly."They still fit, amazingly enough."

"Tell us about –about Dad," James asked suddenly.Mum looked at him, considering.

"It's hard to know exactly where to start," she mused."He always was a complex person, Sirius.I mean, I called him an idiot often enough, but he was very clever, very clever.He was mischievous and daring, but considerate and compassionate, too.His biggest problem was that he had no common sense.He really couldn't tell a good idea from a bad one.The number of times his schemes landed him, with or without any of us, into trouble," she said, laughing."I can remember him laughing even now over some terrible joke he had just played."Her face went empty for a moment."Laughing," she whispered."Did he go crazy for a while, after James and Lily died?Because he felt guilty?Or was it something in Pettigrew's spell?Funny, I'd never have thought that man could do anything so deadly.I suppose Voldemort had taught him some powerful Dark Magic."She sighed and turned back to us.

"I remember the day we met," she began."We were in the same year at Hogwarts, and the same House, Gryffindor…"

She kept talking long into the night, with Uncle Remus telling an anecdote every now and then.Finally, she looked up.

"Oh my!It's after two in the morning! You two have to go to bed now." We tiredly obeyed her. My mind was too full of thoughts even to think about anything I'd learned.

"Lily, we've got to do something!" James paced up and down my room.I sat on my bed.Afternoon sun shone in the window.Mum and Uncle Remus were apparently pulling our father's things out of wherever Mum had put them all those years ago. 

"Like what?" I asked sleepily.I'd only woken up a few minutes before.

"I don't know," he said, swinging his arms like a windmill. "But we can't just sit here doing nothing."

"Let Mum and Uncle Remus plan things," I suggested."I'm still a bit in shock over the news.I mean, okay, Sirius Black is our father, and he's innocent, but everyone thinks that he's guilty, and –oh, it's just so unbelievable."

"Yes," James agreed."It was a bit weird to finally learn the truth."

"I understand why Mum didn't want to tell us before," I said."I don't blame her.Poor Mum, I don't think she's had a very easy life."

"No," James said."Then again, our lives haven't been as easy as they might have been." He laughed shortly."Sirius Black, our father. Sounds strange, doesn't it?'

"You know, if I ever meet that Pettigrew, I think I'm going to whack him," I said."That was horrible, what he did."

"It sure was," James said."And the Potters, think about them."He stopped for a minute, then grinned.

"What's so funny?" I asked sharply.

"Just what Uncle Remus and Mum were saying. You realize that when we prove Dad is innocent, Harry Potter might come live with us?"

"That's pretty odd," I said. "Of course, that's up to him, I guess.And to Mum, if she can figure out a way to clear Dad.This whole situation is weird."I shook my head. "But it'd be wonderful to have a father like everyone else."

"It sure will be."

"I hope it will be," I said slowly."They've still got to prove that Pettigrew was the one who did everything."

"If we could trap Pettigrew," James began.

"James, we can't, okay?We're not capable of such a thing."I sniffed."Apparently you didn't inherit any sense from our mother."

"That's the best way to prove that our father didn't kill or betray anyone," James said stubbornly.

"So you think Mum and Uncle Remus will even let us help?"I asked sarcastically."You know better than that."

"I wish there was a way we could send a message to Dad," James said."But if they're reading our owls…."

"That's illegal," I said, knowing that just because something is illegal doesn't mean that the Ministry wouldn't do it."We would need another way."I thought for a minute."What about Adhara?"

"Could we make her understand what we want her to do?"James asked.

"Let's go talk to Mum."We scrambled down the stairs to the library.Mum and Uncle Remus were hauling something out of a large, recently unsealed cupboard.I stared at it.It was a huge black motorcycle, dusty but in good condition.

"What is that?" James asked.

"Your father's motorcycle," Uncle Remus explained.Mum brushed dust off, smiling faintly.

"He loved this motorcycle," she said."Used to ride around for hours.He took me for a flight many times."

"It flies?" I asked."Isn't that illegal?"

"You think that would stop Sirius?" Uncle Remus raised an eyebrow."He managed to get around the law somehow.Everyone knew he had this, nobody ever arrested him."

"Hey, Mum, we had an idea," I said, remembering why I'd come."We thought that maybe we could use Adhara to send Dad a message!"

"That's a good idea," Mum said. "I think I can probably get her to understand what she's supposed to do… I trained a few owls when I was younger.We have to figure out something that will tell Sirius that he can come here, but not something that would alert the Ministry to the fact that we're helping him if it falls into the wrong hands."

"Right," Uncle Remus said."I'll start thinking, you fix the bird."James and I wandered off to the kitchen, leaving them to it.

Three hours later, we watched Mum tie a small piece of parchment to Adhara's talons.The message that she and Uncle Remus had come up with was simple, yet clear to our father only, we hoped.

_Padfoot – _

_Castle queen's side to avoid opposing rooks. Path is grim but clear. _

I thought this was a lot of nonsense, but Uncle Remus explained that Dad should understand.

"He and your mother used to play a lot of chess.That's what the first part of the message refers to.Castling is a way of protecting the king.Queen's side is to tell him that this place – where Jenny is – is safe for him.Grim tells him to travel in the Animagus form, so that he's not watched, and the rest tells him that we've got spells up to hide him once he gets here."

"Are you sure he'll understand that?" I asked, scratching my head.

"No," Uncle Remus admitted, "but it's our best shot.We'll just hope that he understands." Then Mum threw Adhara up into the air and we watched her wing off.Mum stood watching for a long time before coming in. Now there was nothing we could do but wait.

__

_Author's Note: This part's pretty short.The action really starts in the next part.Did I surprise anyone with who the twins' father is?I did get one email that sounded kind of confused… Anything in the stories so far that hasn't been explained will be explained in various future stories.Please keep reviewing; it really makes my day!_


	3. Pinned

Double Trouble 3

Pinned

It was late at night, a stormy night. The wind howled around outside our house and rattled the windows.We were all sitting around the table, drinking tea, when there came a knock on the door.I glanced toward it, nervous.Ever since I'd learned the truth about my father, I'd been a little afraid that someone would find out and think we were in league with Voldemort.James looked nervous too, but Mum's face was hopeful.Uncle Remus went to get the door.

Someone was standing there, tall, dripping wet and shadowed.The lights had been flickering; now they went out, plunging the room into darkness.I heard Mum muttering to herself, and suddenly five or six candles lit themselves.Pale light filled the room, making strange shadows on the wall.I shivered a little and drew nearer to my brother.

"Moony?" the figure asked.His voice was harsh and weak.Uncle Remus nodded and pulled him into the room, shutting the door behind him.I couldn't much move, I was so nervous.He pulled back his hood, and I saw wild tangles of hair.Two dark eyes shone out of his sunken face.I shivered, just a little.This wasn't exactly how I had pictured meeting my father.

"Jenny?" he asked.

"Hello, Sirius," she said softly. He was sopping wet and shivering. Uncle Remus pulled out a chair and he sank down into it, sighing. I noticed that the floor was covered in mud and water._Mum would be having a fit if James and I made a mess like that,_ I thought.But she didn't say anything.Worry crossed her face.I thought she was going to speak for a moment, but she closed her mouth without saying a word. Crossing the room, she poured a cup of tea and handed it to Sirius –Dad, I reminded myself. _That's my father. I've never seen him before, but he's my dad._He drank the tea and suddenly smiled, briefly.I wanted to smile back, but couldn't seem to make myself.Suddenly, I realized that perhaps everyone in the room was as nervous as I was.Dad's eyes flashed toward James and I, and he looked at Jenny in puzzlement.She took a deep breath.

"Sirius, these are James and Lily.Our children." Her face was totally without expression as she spoke.

"Our children?" he repeated. 

"Yes," she said as calmly as she could.

"Hello," James said slowly. Our father looked at us for a long moment.

"Nice of you to tell me, Moony," he said.

"I didn't really have a chance, now did I?" Uncle Remus asked."We were too busy with other things the last time we met."

"Yes," he said reflectively.He turned back to Mum and smiled.It really didn't look as if he were used to smiling."It's been a long time, Jenny."His feelings were impossible to read because of the way his beard covered his face, but I thought that his words were full of pain and sorrow. 

"It has," she said levelly, trying to hide something, but what? Anxiety? Happiness?"Are you hungry?"He nodded. She started to fix something to eat.I began to feel like laughing hysterically.This was so strange.Nobody here seemed to be acting the way they should be.I wanted to say something, but couldn't.

"I suppose they're keeping an eye on this place?" Dad asked Uncle Remus casually.

"They are.I hope you came in as a dog?"

"Only way to travel on a night like this."He shivered a little as the wind picked up.

"It was nice of you to tell me that you were an Animagus when we were dating, or when we got married, or at any time," Mum said.I wasn't sure if she was angry or not.

"I –I wasn't quite sure how to tell you," Dad said quietly."And I thought you probably already knew.Lily knew before James told her."

"Well, I didn't," she said.She still was speaking in a level tone.

"That was a long time ago," Dad said slowly.Nothing of what he was feeling seemed to show in his eyes.Mum gave a small sigh.

I noticed suddenly that Mum and Uncle Remus were both wearing their wands where they could grab them quickly._So they're afraid that something will happen,_ I realized.Mum handed Dad a plate.

"I hope that's enough, I can make more," she said, her eyes not really looking at anything.

"Thank you," he said quietly.There was a long silence. I wanted to say something, to run or scream or do anything but just sit there.But it was Mum who broke the silence.

"Oh, this is idiotic!" she said loudly, standing and throwing the towel which she had been twisting in her hands to the ground."What are we thinking of?You'd think none of us had ever met before."I saw Dad grin behind his wild beard.It brought life to his face.

"I'm glad to see you've lost none of your fire, Jenny," he said.

"That's just because you're around," she snapped."You could drive anyone crazy!"

"I've missed you, too," he said quietly.For an instant, I thought Mum would throw a plate at his head, but instead she started to cry without making any noises. Uncle Remus caught our eyes and gestured that we should go to bed.

Of course we didn't.James and I just went to my room, which was right above the kitchen, pulled up the small section of floorboard that we'd cut to make a spy-hole, and looked silently down into the candlelit room.Mum had stopped crying and was talking now.

"I've missed you, Sirius, missed you every day that you've been gone. I – I'm sorry that I thought that you were a traitor."

"What were you supposed to think?"he asked wryly."I know the evidence against me is still pretty bad." He sighed and leaned back in the chair.I noticed then just how thin he was.Azkaban wasn't easy on people._Neither are Dementors,_ I thought, and shivered.

"We'll change that," Mum promised.I noticed that Uncle Remus seemed to have left the room, too."Somehow we'll figure out a way."

"If we catch Pettigrew," Dad suggested. The way he said _Pettigrew_, you might have thought it was the dirtiest word anyone could say.

"How?" Mum asked.She moved a chair and sat down near Dad.

"We should be able to think of something, together," he said."It's possible that Dumbledore might help us."

"I think he would, but I also think it would draw too much attention to us to do that," Mum said."We've got to solve this one on our own." She smiled, briefly."You think we can manage?"

"Between you, me, and Remus, Pettigrew's as good as dead already," Dad said firmly.He yawned.

"We're doing nothing tonight," Mum said firmly."If you've eaten, you can come with me.I'll find you something else to wear, and you can wash up."She looked him up and down."And you can get rid of that beard.It looks horrible."

"Not many barbers in Azkaban," Dad commented wryly."After all, Dementors don't need them."

"Sirius, you're incorrigible.Sometimes I think that you'll make a joke out of dying."

"I'm not that bad," he protested.__

"You are, but let's not debate the point tonight." She paused, getting to her feet. "I've got your wand.I'll give it to you tonight or tomorrow, whichever you like."

"Thank you," he said."I never thought I'd see it again." He stood."I never thought I'd see you again, either," he said slowly.

"I know," she whispered."I – I thought you'd killed those people, of course, but I couldn't get myself to hate you, no matter how hard I tried.I couldn't forget you either." I noticed that she wasn't looking at him as she spoke, but at the floor. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her knuckles were white.Dad reached out a hand and touched her shoulder.She turned her eyes to his face.

"I wish that I could say the same," he replied."But in Azkaban, the Dementors took almost all my memories of you.There were a few horrible ones, but mostly, the time I spent with you was happy."He looked at her, standing there silent, for a moment before continuing."Your face was one of the first things to come back to me after I escaped," he said quietly.

"Oh, Sirius," she said, taking his hand."We'll get everything straightened up, my love.We'll be able to live the rest of our lives together, the way we should have had these past years."

"I hope so," he said."If only we can."

"We will," she declared, and led him from the room.

I replaced the floorboard and James went off to his room without either of us saying a word.Then I got into my bed and closed my eyes and waited for sleep to come.

James and I, Adhara circling overhead, wandered happily through the forest one bright summer afternoon in July.Our parents were back at the house, enjoying the sunshine as well.I know that I still was amazed at having a dad around.But James and I had both agreed that our father was great.He'd spent a lot of time with us over the past three weeks since showing up at our house.Of course, it wasn't as if he could go anywhere else; the Ministry was still after him, of course.He was looking a lot better already; he'd shaved off that horrible beard and Mum had given him a haircut, and she seemed to be trying to put twenty pounds on him in a week.

"It's too bad that Dad and Uncle Remus are leaving tomorrow," James commented.

"I know," I agreed.Uncle Remus had gone somewhere a few days ago –he hadn't said where –and when he got back, he and dad were going to hunt down Pettigrew."Maybe it won't take long, and he'll be back soon."

"Have you thought about what that will mean?" James asked me.

"Sure I have," I said."Maybe we'll get to see other wizards now and then. We might even go to Hogwarts!

"I don't know if we will be allowed to," James said."But if we are…"

"Anyway, it'll be really neat to have Dad around all the time."

"I think Mum has been a lot happier these past few weeks than we've ever seen her."

"Of course she has been," I said."What do you expect of her?"We were interrupted by a crackling branch.I whirled around, feeling nervous.Out of the trees stepped Adhara the centaur.She looked very concerned.

"You are not safe," she said, ignoring my brother's open mouth and amazed expression."There is danger around.Go now!"I thought it would be a good idea to do as she said, but James wanted to ask questions.

"What's going on?" he asked."Who are you?"

"Go!" she said again.I pulled on James' arm, but he dug his heels into the ground.

"There aren't supposed to be centaurs around here.What are you up to?"

"James, let's go now!"

"I just want a few answers."He ripped his arm from my grip.I turned, hesitating to flee and leave my brother alone, but afraid of what might happen next.

"Too late," Adhara said.Into the clearing came a dozen men, wearing black robes and holding their wands ready. I felt horribly afraid.Their leader wasa short, thin man with small eyes and colorless eyes. He motioned to his men. One shot something at the centaur.She fell to the forest floor.I stood frozen where I was in terror.James gave me a shove to get me moving and we tried to escape, but it was hopeless.One of the men shot a burst of white light at me, knocking me to the ground.I tried to get up, but couldn't.

"Run, James!" I yelled.He was near the edge of the clearing and might have made it.But he turned back to try to stop the men.

"Don't touch my sister!" he yelled.The leader laughed and shot a curse at him. James fell in a heap near me.I felt the world spinning and knew I was about to faint. Then the world went dark.

Jenny and Sirius were outside, enjoying the sunshine and relaxing.

"Remus will be back tomorrow," Jenny said contemplatively."Maybe you should have gone with him.I know it's not easy on him…"

"I wanted to spend time with you and the children, Jenny.After all, Remus and I are going to hunt down Pettigrew.I hope it won't take long, but I don't know that for sure."His face set in hard lines.Jenny sighed.

"Just be careful, dear," she pleaded.

"I will be," Sirius promised."As careful as I can be."

"Which isn't very."Jenny rolled her eyes and crossed her arms."I should be going with you.On your own, you're likely to get yourself killed."

"Remus will be with me," Sirius pointed out."If you can't trust me, can you at least count on him to keep me from doing anything too foolish?" He smiled and put his arm around her."He does have sense."

"Yes," Jenny snapped, "but you never listen to him.You never did, just to me, or James…" she trailed off, blinking a little to hold back tears.

"Hey," Sirius said gently, "I'll listen, okay?I won't do anything too stupid."

"Oh, you," she laughed."I just wish that I was going."

"We've been over this before," Sirius reminded her."You have to stay here with the twins."He grinned.It still seemed to look out of place on his face."I'm still having trouble with the idea that I've got kids."

"I never did think you were much for brains," she teased.He painted a look of injury across his face.Jenny laughed."Oh, but I've missed you, Sirius."

"I've missed you too, Jenny darling," he said, embracing her."I promise, we'll get Pettigrew and have everything settled fast enough.Then we can pull our lives back together."

"Yes," she said firmly."So no slip-ups, all right?"

"Fine."Their conversation was interrupted suddenly by the arrival of Adhara.The bird was very upset about something; her right wing was missing feathers.

"Something's wrong," Jenny said, worry in her voice."What is it?Oh –the children!"She began scanning the forest, as if hoping to see some sign of them.

"Look!" Sirius said abruptly.He pointed to an owl that was coming closer and closer.It circled them and dropped a paper on Sirius' head.He picked it up, read it quickly.As he did so, his face went white.He thrust it to Jenny, unable to speak.Fear making her heart leap to her throat, Jenny scanned the note.

_Padfoot, old friend,_

If you want your children to remain unharmed, do nothing and wait for my instructions.They're perfectly safe now –guests of myself and my master.They will be safe as long as you do not attempt to find me or attack the Dark Lord.Greet your lovely wife for me.

The note was unsigned, but it hardly needed a signature.

"Wormtail!" Sirius hissed, clenching his hands into fists."If only I'd killed him when I had the chance!"

"That's not important now," Jenny said.She was trembling with fear, trying hard not to panic. _My children have been kidnapped!What am I to do?James and Lily, captives of Voldemort!_."We've got to figure out what to do.We need to tell Dumbledore, the Ministry."

"Yes," Sirius said."We'll send them this note –it just might convince them that I'm telling the truth." But as he spoke, the note burst into flame.In four seconds, it was ash.

"Wonderful," Jenny said bitterly."What are we going to do?"

"We'll have to get Moony here.He and I will go after Pettigrew."

"Remus can't come back today, you know that!It's still full moon.And if you go after Pettigrew, what will happen to James and Lily?Will he hurt them?We need to get the Ministry in on this.You'll have to hide, though."

"I'm not leaving you alone," Sirius said firmly."What if Wormtail tries to hurt you?"

"I can take care of myself," Jenny protested."It's James and Lily who need protection.We need Dumbledore.And you know what will happen if the Ministry shows up and you're here."

"I don't like the idea of hiding," Sirius said, "but I suppose you're right.I'll hide –but nearby.Where?"

"The forest?" Jenny suggested."It's huge, they'll never find you."

"Then I'll get my wand and go now, you clean things up so that the Ministry won't know I was here."He didn't look happy with the plan, but they didn't have a better one.

"Right," Jenny said.She seemed in much better control of herself now that a course of action had been decided upon.

Jenny's mind raced as she quickly cleared away all traces of Sirius' stay at their home.She'd tell Dumbledore first, he'd know what to do.Remus would be back tomorrow, he'd help._Very convenient that this happened during the full moon,_ she thought grimly._Pettigrew's taking as few chances as he can._ As soon as she'd finished her task, she sat down and wrote a brief note to Dumbledore.Her hand shook a little from worry as she wrote.

_Professor Dumbledore:_

_ _

My children have been kidnapped.I believe that one or more of Voldemort's men may be behind this.Please come immediately.

She signed the note 'Jenny Anderson' from force of habit, then thought for a moment.Finally, she left it.If the Ministry really was reading her letters, she didn't want them wondering why she'd started using her proper name after all these years.

Dumbledore's reply arrived quickly, in less than three hours, but she spent the whole time worrying and it felt more like three days.He said that he would bring Ministry of Magic officials down immediately.Jenny hoped that Sirius would stay out of sight._He isn't that stupid,_ she told herself. _I don't think he'd let himself be caught like that. _But it just added to her worries.

It was dark when the Ministry officials arrived.Dumbledore led Cornelius Fudge into the room.The third person to come in was Severus Snape.Jenny felt shock and a bit of fear at the sight of the man who had nearly had her husband killed not long ago.He had no expression on his face, but a glint in his eye suggested that he was enjoying himself.

"Minister Fudge," Jenny said, letting her surprise show in her voice."I didn't expect you to come."

"I'm afraid that the Minister received some information shortly after we got your message," he said."Your children may have been kidnapped by Sirius Black."Jenny felt like laughing in Fudge's face, but refrained.She was terrified for her children, after all, and just because Fudge was wrong about the culprit didn't mean that the children weren't in danger.

"Why do you think that?" she asked.Fudge seemed to be relieved that she hadn't started screaming in terror or fainting.

"We received a message, telling us to call off the manhunt on Black or that the children would be harmed," he said.Jenny glanced at Dumbledore.There was no hint of his thoughts showing in those impenetrable blue eyes.

"In that case," Snape began smoothly, "perhaps you have less to fear than you thought.I doubt that Black would harm his own children."

"They are his?" Fudge queried."I mean, I know you were married…"

"Of course they're his children!" Jenny snapped."But I don't remember telling you, Snape."

"It hardly takes a genius to figure out whose children they are," Snape said slowly.Jenny felt his eyes boring into her."Though I did not know that the two of you were married."Jenny felt herself flush.

"What can we do?" she asked, addressing Dumbledore."They –they could be killed."She began to tremble and tried to get a grip on herself.

"We must be very careful," Dumbledore said."Their abductor is a very devious, very evil man."Only Jenny knew that Dumbledore meant Pettigrew rather than Sirius.

"The hunt for Black has been redoubled," Fudge put in."I mean, we can't just let him do things like this, can we?We'll find him soon enough…"

"That's what you've been saying for a year," Snape reminded him.He turned toward Jenny."I know it must be hard on you, but don't worry.We'll catch that madman and save your children."His expression was curious; she rather thought he was trying hard not to smile._He must be savoring this,_ she thought bitterly._He always did hate Sirius, and me too._

"That's right," Fudge said, nodding.

"But we must be careful.After all, Black isn't sane.Who knows what he could do?" Snape's expression was duly sympathetic, but Jenny could see the malice in his eyes.She wanted to scream, to strangle him, to try to convince Fudge that Sirius was innocent, but she knew how futile any of those things would be. _I have sense, right?That's what I've always said.Now's the time to use that sense.I'm going to do the best acting job in the history of the world, and then they'll leave and Dumbledore and I can actually make plans._She took a deep breath.

"He may not be sane, Minister, but nothing will have happened to his intellect. Sirius was always a superb chess player.If he is behind this kidnapping, you might as well assume that he has six or seven plans lined up, traps arranged, and defenses secured."She paused for a moment."So you'd better have me in on your plans.James and Lily are my children, and I am the only person who ever defeated Sirius at chess.If you want to defeat him now, you'll need my help."_You might have gotten somewhere catching Sirius if you'd taken my offer of help last year.You didn't believe me then that I was on your side. But now I know what side I'm on, and you'll never beat the two of us.But you aren't the opponent, are you?It's Pettigrew- or Voldemort._

"That's a very moving speech," Snape said."I'm sure the Minister will include you in any decisions?"

"Oh, yes, that sounds like an excellent idea, Severus.It might be wise for you to come up to London for a few days."

"I don't know, Minister," Jenny said."I'll have to think about that."

"Yes, of course.I must be off now.Severus, are you coming?"Snape followed the Minister from the room.Jenny watched them go. Once they had left, she turned back to where Dumbledore stood.

"I'm very scared," she said bluntly."Pettigrew's got my children, and there's no telling what he'll do."

"He wants something," Dumbledore said."What might that be?"

"I think he's terrified of Sirius.He and Remus were going to head off after Pettigrew tomorrow, to try to catch him, to clear Sirius' name." Jenny shook her head."Or it could be some design of Voldemort's that we don't know about yet."She took a deep breath to quiet the panic rising in her."What are we going to do?"

"We have to wait for him to make his move," Dumbledore said."You should come to London, I think.Where's Sirius?"

"Hiding.As soon as they're all gone, I'll get him and we can work things out."

"That may not be wise," Dumbledore cautioned."Severus is clearly not convinced of where your loyalties lie."

"Even after my children have been kidnapped?" Jenny was incredulous."He's insane."

"He's not insane," Dumbledore said quietly."He really does think that Sirius is guilty, though I doubt he'd listen to evidence to the contrary.And women on the Dark Side have done terrible things before, even to their own children.If he thought you were working for Voldemort, he'd do anything he could to convince Fudge to have you arrested."

"I have to tell Sirius something," Jenny said, staring out into the darkness."I'll come up to London, but I've got to let him know."

"I can manage to make sure that you won't be followed," Dumbledore promised, "but you can't take too long."

"All right," she said."I'll go in a few minutes.I should get him some spare clothes and things."She looked around uncertainly."I –I have to do something," she said at last."There's got to be something I can do to help find them."

"Don't worry about that right now," Dumbledore said firmly."Concentrate on one thing at a time.But if it makes you feel any better, I don't think Pettigrew will hurt James and Lily.He wants them for some reason, so he won't be anxious to harm them."

"I hope you're right," she whispered, and slipped from the room.

She hurried into the forest, her wand showing a few feet of the path ahead of her at a time.She just hoped that Sirius was where she thought he was.

As she reached the clearing with the white rock where she thought Sirius might be, she slowed.There didn't seem to be anyone there.A minute later, though, Sirius appeared.

"What's happened?" he asked, seeing the bundle that she carried.She explained the past few hours' events.

"That Snape," Sirius growled, his face darkening."Don't let him give you any trouble, Jenny."

"I won't," she assured him."I'll go up to London tonight and get in touch with Remus tomorrow."

"That sounds like a good plan," Sirius agreed. 

"What will you be doing?" she asked.

"I can't just sit around doing nothing," he said, prowling around the clearing."I have to try to find where Pettigrew's holed up.If the Ministry's off on a false scent, it might be up to us to get James and Lily out of there."

"Sirius, he's sure to know that that's what you'll do," Jenny cried."He'll have traps in place and you'll be killed!I can't lose you, not after I just got you back again!And –if you go after him, he might hurt James and Lily!"

"I can't just let him have them," Sirius said bluntly.

"Voldemort will kill you," she said, crying.

"He won't kill me, love," Sirius assured her, wrapping his arms around her.She was trembling."I have to do something, though, can't you see that?If I hadn't come here, they would never have been in any trouble.I can't just leave them.They're my children too."

"Oh, Sirius, be careful, please be careful," she pleaded.

"I can take care of myself," he said.

"Not very well," she retorted, sniffing back tears."I'd have nothing to do if that was the case."

"I promise, I'll get the kids, and I'll be fine.There'll be plenty of time afterwards to debate whether or not I'm careful, or an idiot."He held her for a long moment.

"I need to get back," she said reluctantly.

"Jenny," Sirius began.She looked at him.He paused for a long moment before continuing. "If –if this doesn't work right, I – I love you, I always will.Just –that's all."She looked at him a long moment.

"I love you, my husband," she said, and kissed him.Then she slipped back off toward home.

Disclaimer: I invented Jenny and the twins and both Adharas.J.K. Rowling and her publishers own the rest.

_ _

_Brief explanation of the title: All the titles in this series are chess terms.Pinning means that one player has a piece attacking his opponent, but if the opponent moves, he loses another piece, usually a more valuable one.So if Sirius goes after Pettigrew, the twins are in danger, but if he doesn't go after Pettigrew, there's no way he'll clear his name._

_ _

_Next piece expected: who knows when?I should have time to work on this this week, but I do have Alternity, and I need to get some pieces of Magical Mischief Makers done before too long._


	4. Midgame Manuevers

I woke slowly.For a moment, I couldn't remember what had happened.Then the memory of the attack in the forest flooded back to me.I sat up quickly.That made me aware of just how much my head hurt.

I was in a stone place, and there was very little light.It was cold and damp.

"James?" I called.I heard a groan off to the side."James?Is that you?"I'd headed for the noise but my hands felt bars in front of me.I heard the noise of someone pulling himself to his feet on the other side of the bars.

"I'm here, Lily," he said weakly."You all right?"

"My head hurts, but other than that I'm fine.Where are we?"

"I don't know. Who were those people?"

"They must be working for Voldemort," I reasoned."No one else would want to kidnap us."

"Well, we've got to get out of here."James felt the bars between us."Go around the walls where you are.Try to find a door or something."I did as he said.On the third wall I felt bars instead of stone.I pushed hard against them, but they didn't give at all.

"It's locked," I reported.

"So's the one on my side."He let out his breath slowly."So we've just got to wait."

"Great."I sat down against the cold stone."I wonder if Mum has figured out that we're gone yet."

"I don't know how long it's been," James said. "But I'm sure she knows.She and Dad are probably heading here to rescue us right now."

"But what if that's what our captors want?" I worried."What if they're killed?"

"We can't do anything, Lily," James said."Let's talk about something more cheerful."

"Like what?All I can think about is my head, which hurts, and my stomach, which is empty, and my back, which is wet, and my feet, which are cold." I said sulkily."You think of whatever you want.I'm going to pretend I'm dead."

"Oh, like that'll help," James said sarcastically."Come on.Be cheerful.Mum and Dad will get us out of here.Dad will catch Pettigrew.We'll all live happily ever after."

"This isn't a fairy tale," I reminded him.

"How would you know?" 

I tried to answer him, but just as I thought of something to say, light appeared in the dungeons.It was quite far off, and it wasn't daylight.It was the light caused by a burning torch, or a fire, red-orange rather than yellow-white.It was coming closer, too.

Suddenly, whoever was approaching must have turned the corner, for the dungeons were filled with light.I shielded my eyes.It wasn't very bright, but after who knows how long in almost total darkness, it was too much for my eyes.Once I was adjusted to the light, I looked at the man carrying it.

It was the small man who had led our abductors.He was smiling in an unpleasant way.

"I'm pleased to see you've woken up," he said.I didn't like his tone of voice."So pleased to meet you.I don't believe we've been introduced?I am Peter Pettigrew."I stared at the man in revulsion.So this was the traitor who'd betrayed his friends, who was responsible for the years my father had spent in prison.

"I see you've heard of me," he said in a tone that was meant to be pleasant."Excellent.That means I don't have to explain things."

"Why have you taken us prisoner?" James demanded.

"My dear boy, surely that's obvious? Insurance, of course.I don't want your father showing up while I am busy with my master's tasks.Don't worry.You'll be well treated while you are here.If you promise to obey me, I'll even let you out of the dungeons."

"Never!" James said firmly.

"As stubborn as your parents.Such a shame.All my old friends were stubborn, not that it got them anywhere. If they'd only bent a little… my master is most generous to those who serve him."

"Sure," I said."That's why you spent thirteen years as a rat."His face darkened.

"Better than my old friends got," he hissed."Better than being dead, or in Azkaban… or reviled by the wizarding world, like your mother and the werewolf."

"Werewolf?" James asked.

"So they didn't tell you?I suppose that's to be expected.My old friend, Remus Lupin, he is a werewolf.Doesn't like to talk about it, of course, but it's a shame he won't work for my master.Such a one as he would be welcome on our side.Instead, he allies himself with the weak, sentimental members of our society."He laughed at the looks on our faces."I shall leave you to think things over now," he said. "When I return, we'll talk again." He left, taking the torch with him.

"Is he lying, you think?" I asked shakily.

"Got to be.He's lying through his teeth."James didn't sound as sure of himself as his brave words indicated though.

"Right, he's just trying to make us upset," I reasoned.

"But…" James seemed to think things over."Well, I wouldn't trust what Pettigrew says, that's for sure. But –it does fit, you know.It was just the full moon, you know –and he did go off…. And there is something about him…."

"But he's a nice person," I said weakly. "And Pettigrew said he wouldn't serve Voldemort."

"That doesn't mean he's not a werewolf, though," James said slowly."I don't know."

"We can ask Mum when she –when she and Dad come for us," I said, shivering a little from the damp.

"That sounds right to me. Anyway, if our parents are friends with him, surely they'll know.So if he's a werewolf, it must be okay.And if he's not, well, we already know that Pettigrew's a liar."

"James, we must be very careful," I said."After a while in the dungeons, we might be tempted to doanything Pettigrew ask, just to get out, and we mustn't."

"We won't, Lily, we won't," James said firmly."Just remember what Mum taught us, and we'll be fine."Neither of us spoke for a long time after that.

Staring into the dark, not speaking, my mind began to wander and come up with strange ideas.Was that a noise in the dungeons beyond me?Was something looking at me?What strange creatures would inhabit a stronghold of Voldemort?I shivered and pulled my knees up to my chest.The darkness was oppressive.We'd be trapped here forever, living out our lives in darkness, while above us, the world went on, uncaring.And Pettigrew would return, again and again, to mock us and offer us life, if only we would follow his master.And perhaps one day I'd be too weak to resist.

Suddenly, fear knotted my insides and I began to gasp for breath.I was panicking.What was I going to do?Mum and Dad would never find us, never get us out of here.For all I knew, they were dead already.For all I knew, Dad had been recaptured and was in Azkaban.Or, worse, we might see them again, but they would have turned to the shadow…

"Stop it!" I yelled aloud.

"Lily?" James asked.

"I –I'm sorry, James.I was just terrified there, a moment ago."

"So was I, until you yelled," James said slowly."Ridiculous things, too, like Mum and Dad being on Voldemort's side."

"I thought that, too."

"Well, I bet that Pettigrew was behind that.Some magic designed to make us do what he wants us to."

"It won't work," I said.

"Did you hear that, Pettigrew?It won't work!" James shouted.

Jenny paced up and down the room at the Leaky Cauldron.When a knock came, she flew to the door and opened it.

"Oh, Remus, thank goodness you're here."

"I came as soon as I got word," Remus said."How bad are things?"

"Pretty bad," Jenny said levelly."We don't have any leads on where the twins are, the Ministry's convinced that Sirius kidnapped them, and Snape is hanging around like a ghoul."

"What's Dumbledore got to say?"

"Not much.He says we have to wait, that we don't have enough information yet.I don't want to wait.I can't sleep, can't eat for worry.What will Pettigrew do to them?They're so young!"She sat still except for her hands, which were knotting and unknotting a handkerchief.She didn't seem aware of what she was doing.Remus looked on, not really knowing what to say.

"I know, Jenny," Remus said heavily."Where is Sirius?What's he doing?"

"I don't know," Jenny replied, staring out of the window."He was hiding, but I think he's going to try to find the twins." The handkerchief lay on the ground now, completely forgotten, and her hands were clasped together so hard that her knuckles were white.

"I'll help him," Remus declared."I'll go now, we'll track down Pettigrew."He half-turned as if to leave immediately

"Are you sure that's safe?" Jenny asked uneasily, causing him to halt in his tracks."I'm sure that Snape is watching us.What if he finds you and Sirius together?"

"I'll make sure he doesn't follow me," Remus assured her, crossing the room and sitting in a chair near her."We can't just leave the twins to Pettigrew, can we?"He essayed a small smile but it faded quickly.

"No, of course not."Jenny looked back at Remus. Her eyes were wet. "I'm so scared. They – I love them so much, I couldn't bear to lose them.For years, they were the only things I had, to make me live, to make me care."She bit her lower lip, trying to hold back the tears now about to pour from her eyes.

"We'll find them, Jenny," Remus promised.He took her hand in his and looked her straight in the eye."Whatever it takes, we'll save them."

"Oh, I wish I could go," Jenny wailed.It seemed that Remus' gesture had made her lose whatever scrap of self-control she had possessed."But I can't.Fudge and Dumbledore keep talking to me.Snape is sure that I'm up to something, I know he is.I have to stay here."

"We'll let you know as soon as we find something out," Remus assured her. He stood and began to walk toward the door."You just do whatever you have to."Jenny nodded, unable to speak.Remus paused at the exit.He seemed as if he would speak, but shook his head and left.

Jenny stood at the window, looking down at the people passing by on Diagon Alley.She watched as a young boy eluded his mother's grasp to join his friends.She saw a woman comforting her daughter as the girl scraped her knee.She saw a young couple walking hand in hand. And a large family, mother, father, and four or five children, spending the day together.A tear ran down her face. _Why are they so happy?_ she wondered bitterly._Look at them.Happy people, happy children, whole families.Look at me. My children are kidnapped by Voldemort.My husband is running for his life.Most of the people who I have loved in my life are dead.Why does this happen to me?Why?_

Her mind showed her, again, the images that she'd tried to keep out, the pictures that haunted her nightmares.She remembered the Potters' funeral, remembered how they had looked when last she had seen them, lying together, dead.She remembered the headlines that had proclaimed to all the world that her husband had worked for Voldemort, had destroyed thirteen lives, had gone mad.

But then she remembered the years that she and Lily, her friend, had spent together, closer than sisters.She remembered the day that she had realized that she loved Sirius, the day that they had married.She remembered the day that her twins had been born.That had been a day of sorrow and joy mixed together. 

There had been many days like that in the past twelve years.Her joy in her children had been mingled with sorrow that Sirius was not with her, that he was a criminal. 

_I don't have any business standing here feeling sorry for myself,_ she told herself. _It isn't doing me, or the children, or Sirius, any good. _Jenny sat down in a chair, sighing.

She had half-dozed off when another knock came on the door.Instantly she bolted upright.

The manager of the Leaky Cauldron, Tom, stood at the door.He was half-smiling, apologetically.

"There's some men who want to see you," he said."They're downstairs in a private room."

"Thank you for telling me," she said, and followed him down.Perhaps these were Ministry workers with news about her children.

Three men stood in the room. They had notebooks and one carried a big camera.

"We're from the _Daily Prophet_," one explained.Jenny glanced at the other men.One was scribbling something in his book, the other seemed to be focusing his camera.

"I don't want to talk to you," she said shortly.

"Please, just a short statement.We've already spoken to the Minster of Magic.He's assured us that the hunt for Black has been redoubled.He also said that they don't have any current leads."

"I really have no wish to discuss the matter," she said again, and turned to leave.The cameraman got a picture of her before she could turn all the way away.

"Any comment on why Black may be trying such a move?" the persistent reporter asked.

"I don't want to talk about things," she said shortly, and left the room.

Remus Lupin returned to the Leaky Cauldron at midmorning the next day.He asked if Jenny was in her rooms or not.

"She's in her rooms, all right," Tom said easily."Hasn't left.Suppose it'd be all right for you to go up, seeing as you're her friend."Remus climbed the stairs slowly, thinking of the previous day's futile hunt for Sirius.

Jenny didn't answer his knocks.After a few minutes, Remus opened the door.Jenny was sitting and staring out of the window.A newspaper lay across her lap, but she didn't look at it.She turned slowly and looked at Remus.A small smile half-heartedly crossed her face.

"I didn't know it was you," she said quietly."I really don't want to talk to most people right now."

"Is something else wrong?" Remus asked worriedly.

"Look," she said, handing him the papers. **Breaking News on Black Situation** the headline proclaimed.Jenny's picture was on the front page, her head half turned away from the camera.It looked as if she were evading scrutiny.Remus read the story.

Recent developments in the Sirius Black case have been startling and rapid. We attempted to interview Jenny Anderson, the mother of the kidnapped children, but she refused to comment.The Ministry says it hopes to make a breakthrough soon, but has no leads as of this printing.

More startling is the information that the kidnapped children, Lily and James Anderson, are in fact Black's own children.Our source, though highly reliable, did not want to be identified.However, the _Prophet_ has managed to confirm that Black and Anderson were married some thirteen years ago.The children, who are twelve years old, do not attend any school of wizardry, for unknown reasons.

The article continued in the same vein for several pages.When Remus finally put it down, he saw that Jenny was staring out the window again.

"This –this is horrible," Remus said weakly, not sure what he should say."They call this journalism?It's scandal-mongering."

"Three guesses who their 'source' is," Jenny said bitterly. "It's amazing how wrong people can be."

" 'Oh, what fool these mortals be,' and that," Remus agreed. "But Snape should have the decency not to do something like this to you." He indicated the paper with a vague wave.

"I just can't take all this." Jenny stood rapidly, spilling the papers to the floor."It's bad enough that James and Lily are kidnapped, bad enough that the idiots at the Ministry think that Sirius kidnapped them, but I do not need press people hounding me!" She brought her fist down on the table with a _thump!_ "I want to be out there helping Sirius, trying to save James and Lily.Instead, I'm sitting here, waiting for the idiot who we've got for Minister to decide to tell me what's going on.They could be out of the country by now!"She looked at Remus, really seeing him for the first time."Why are you back, anyway?"

"There's no sign of Sirius," Remus said heavily."His bike's gone, too.I'm afraid he's gone off on his own."

"Blast!" Jenny muttered."He's sure to get himself killed, or caught.And what about Lily and James!"

"Jenny, Sirius did manage to avoid being caught for almost a year on his own," Remus reminded her.

"But he wasn't going somewhere where, most likely, Voldemort is!" Jenny exclaimed. "That's what I'm so afraid of, that Voldemort is –wherever the twins are.If Pettigrew's bad, what of Voldemort?What might he do to the children?"She collapsed into the chair, her head in her hands. 

"Jenny, I know how you feel," Remus said sympathetically."Lily and James mean a lot to me, too.Those twelve years – the only happy memories I have are of spending time with you and your children.You're the closest I've ever come to having a family of my own."

"Oh, Remus," Jenny said quietly."Have I ever thanked you for being there for me all those years?I could never have made it without you, and Lily and James, of course."

"And I'm here for you now," Remus said."We'll get through this one, too."

**Well, what's going to happen next?I'm not telling… Yes, I do know, and I'll tell you one thing –Harry may show up.Emphasis on may. I hope to get it up soon, but as writing this is depressing me –Jenny is just so miserable right now! – it may take longer than I'd like.**

**Disclaimer: J K Rowling is a wonderful author and I'm not claiming any of her creations as mine.I'm also not trying to make money off them.Please don't sue me.**


	5. Queen Into Battle

Sirius flew high above the clouds.Anyone on the ground would be trying his best to avoid the awful storm that was blowing, but Sirius, seated once again on his motorcycle, flew dry.The moon shone down and all the stars were bright.Other than the bitter cold, the ride was pleasant.

He thought he knew where Pettigrew might be hiding.The spells that he and Jenny had labored over days ago, before the twins had been kidnapped, had given them a rough idea of Pettigrew's location, and he'd narrowed it down a bit more.Now he was headed toward Dunstanburgh Castle, a ruin in the north of England._Just the sort of place that Voldemort might use. I'll bet he'd like some magnificent old ruin to use as a base._He checked the compass he'd mounted on the bike so many years ago and adjusted his course slightly._Maybe I should have sent word to Jenny, somehow.But I don't want her to worry.Remus'll look out for her._Hour after hour, Sirius sped north.

"Well, I say, Severus, that's going a bit far."Cornelius Fudge and Severus Snape were alone in the Minister's office.Fudge had his usual 'puzzled puppy' look on his face."I mean, surely you don't think she'd hurt her own children!"

"I hardly think that Anderson had anything to do with the kidnapping," Snape said smoothly."But I am sure she was helping Black.I'd think that it was obvious to you, Minister.She and the werewolf both."

"There's hardly any proof, Severus," Fudge mumbled."I spoke to them both shortly after Black escaped.Anderson offered to help us find Black.She was quite upset over his escape, and worried that he might come after her."

"She and Black were _very_ close, you know, Minster," Snape said softly."I believe that she had him at her home at some point in the past few months.What I think happened is that his master summoned him and he took the children –as insurance, you might say.And of course she wouldn't admit that she was helping him."

"I say, Severus, that's a bit hard on her.I'm sure she wouldn't do anything like that."

"Then why didn't she divorce him after he was sent to Azkaban?" Snape stared at the Minister, who shifted his gaze away uncomfortably."For all these years, she's been practically a hermit, living in that old manor house with her children.I've spoken to people, the only visitor she ever had was Lupin, the werewolf.I'd say, Minister, that quite possible, the children have been raised to serve He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Oh, come now, Severus, come now.We never found anything linking Anderson to the –to _that_ side."

"Except for Black, himself," Snape pointed out nastily. 

"Well, you've got to understand –after all, from all accounts, she was very upset over the whole business.Of course, I wasn't Minister then, but my department was quite involved in the cover-up and cleanup afterwards…And Dumbledore vouches for her."

"I think everyone depends on Dumbledore a bit too much," Snape said icily.His face was composed, but his eyes were full of contempt for Fudge. The Minister, fortunately, did not notice."No denying that he is a great wizard, but he is a bit –well, he's getting old.You can hardly blame him if he's beginning to lose mental capacities. Some of his recent decisions have hardly been as wise as they might have been.Look at the men he has selected for the Dark Arts post three years running at Hogwarts.And, frankly, he seemed more amused than anything else over the final escapade with Black last year."

"Perhaps you are correct," Fudge began.He shook his head."Well, Severus, very nice talking to you, but I must go now, you understand."He held the door for Snape and followed him out of the room.

Tom, the barkeeper of the Leaky Cauldron was used to all manner of strange folk passing through.Between the hags, trolls, gnomes, dwarves and other creatures who popped in on their way to Diagon Alley, nothing would surprise him.So when a young girl came in one August afternoon, he didn't even blink, just asked if he could help her.

"I'm looking for a Jenny Anderson," the girl said."I've been told she's staying here."

"That's right," Tom said."She's in, too."

"I need to see her," the girl said.She fixed Tom with a steady stare.Somehow she commanded more respect than her fourteen or fifteen years automatically merited.Tom turned and went up the stairs.He knew that Jenny had gotten in an hour or so ago, having left early that morning.He didn't pry into his patrons' business, but he knew that Jenny was hardly a typical customer.He'd seen her picture in the papers, along with all sorts of stories about her… Still, she seemed a nice woman, if a bit distracted by the kidnapping of her children.Tom knocked on the door.

"Come in."Jenny was seated at the table near the window, writing something.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but there's a girl here to see you.She said she needed to see you.Didn't give her name."

"How old a girl?" Jenny asked.

"Oh, fourteen, fifteen, I'd say.Brown hair, lots of it…" Tom trailed off.Jenny frowned in thought.

"Let her come up," she said finally, standing and putting the paper she had been writing on into a drawer."Thank you, Tom."He nodded and left.Five minutes later, another knock sounded.Once again, Jenny said "Come in."This time it was the girl.She held something in her hand. She looked at Jenny for a long moment before coming in.

"Exactly who are you?" Jenny asked.She didn't even try to be polite; it had been a very long day already, between arguing with the Minister of Magic, eluding press hounds, and trying to get in touch with Remus, she was exhausted.Of course, the fact that it had been two weeks since the kidnapping and there were still no leads didn't help her.

"I'm Hermione Granger," the girl said.Jenny stared at her, trying to remember where she had heard that name.She couldn't."I came –well, it's complicated.I'm a Muggle-born, but I get the papers delivered, and I read about your children being kidnapped."Jenny stared at the girl.Was she here to ask rude questions?If so, she'd be out before she could blink._I do not have time for this today,_ she thought.Hermione was still speaking."You're Sirius Black's wife, aren't you?"

"That's right," Jenny said shortly."I don't see why that would matter to you, though, and I really-"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hermione said."I'm saying this all wrong.Anyway –er, have you possibly spoken with Professor Lupin in the last month or so?"Jenny was feeling very bewildered.Then, suddenly, she remembered.

"Of course, Hermione," she said, mostly to herself."You were there with Harry and helped get Sirius out."

"Yes, I was.Oh, but Harry didn't tell Professor Lupin that.How did you know?"

"Sirius told me himself."Jenny allowed herself a small smile.Hermione looked very relieved.

"Oh, good, then he's okay.Ron and I have been wondering –we haven't been in touch with Harry at all, and we only knew that Sirius hadn't been recaptured, because it would have been all over the papers.I wanted to write to Professor Lupin, but we couldn't find where he was staying."

"Not surprising.He was at my house until a few weeks ago, and since them I haven't heard much from him."Jenny sighed."So you came to find out whether I knew that Sirius was innocent?"

"I though you might know, but I did want to make sure," Hermione agreed."Because I'm sure he had nothing to do with the kidnapping."She frowned a bit."I was a bit surprised when I heard –about you and your children, that is.No one mentioned that…" she trailed off.

"I wasn't advertising the fact that I married Sirius, was I?" Jenny said dryly."And since he didn't know about the twins until he showed up at my house, he could hardly have been expected to tell you." She grinned a little wryly.

"I see," Hermione said."Anyway,"she held up an envelope and pushed it at Jenny."I got this the other day.There was a letter that instructed me to give this package to you."Jenny took the envelope and ripped it open.

_Dear Jenny,_

_ _

_How nice it is to be able to write to you again.I must say, it's a shame your husband won't take your advice any better now than twelve years ago.You'd think his time in Azkaban might have lent him more wisdom.I've learned that he's still looking for me.Perhaps I was wrong to think that he'd care more about his children than about clearing his name, but surely you could have persuaded him to listen to you?Your children are fine now, but if he keeps on…_

_By the way, my master thinks highly of your children.He'd like to keep them here, but will return them if you wish.Just as long as he has Sirius' word that he'll not come after us.And yours too, of course.If you do, he'll allow you and Sirius and your children to live in peace. _

_I'll get in touch with you soon for your answer –and might I recommend that it is yes?My master doesn't like being refused.The Potters learned that too late.Can you learn from their mistake?Just to keep your hopes from getting too high, this letter will burst into flame within ten minutes of you reading it, so don't even bother trying to show it to, say, Fudge.Not that he'd believe you anyway.And your traps were far too obvious, by the way._

_ _

_Sincerely, _

# Peter

Jenny slowly put the letter down.True to Pettigrew's word, it burst into flame.Hermione gave a little gasp.Jenny had quite forgotten the girl was in the room.Now she looked back at Hermione.

"I don't suppose that was good news," Hermione stated, her face pale.

"No. How did you get your hands on that, anyway?"

"An owl left it at my house.I was wondering why anyone who wanted to send you a letter didn't just post it to you." 

Jenny allowed herself a bitter laugh.

"Because he knew very well that I had spells in place to trap any owls he might send me.I was hoping to get a lead on where he is from the owl."

"It was just a normal owl, brown, nothing unusual about it," Hermione said."I didn't even think of detaining it."

"No reason why you should have."Jenny stared at the tiny heap of ash."Blast.I wish I knew what to do."

"It –it was from whoever kidnapped your children?" Hermione guessed.

"Yes, Pettigrew," Jenny spat grimly.

"Pettigrew?" Hermione asked, blanching. "I –I knew it wasn't Sirius, but I didn't know it was him."Jenny looked away.

"Pettigrew doesn't want Sirius going after him.That's why he's kidnapped my children."She sat down and put her head in her hands."I don't know where Sirius is, orRemus either.I don't know where Pettigrew is, or I'd go after him. I don't know what to do."She spoke so quietly that Hermione could hardly hear.

"Can I do anything?" she asked.Jenny didn't look up, but she bit her lip.

"I don't know," she sighed."I'm going to talk to Dumbledore, then I'll try to get in touch with Sirius."She looked at Hermione."And then I'm going home.I'm not staying here, that's for sure. So if you get another letter for me, you'll have to come to my house."

"If I do get another letter, I'll catch the owl," Hermione promised.

"You probably won't," Jenny said, getting to her feet. She walked over to the table, pulled out a pen and parchment, and began to write. "Now that you know what's going on, Pettigrew will be unlikely to use you as a courier."

"I'll let Ron know, too," Hermione said."That way he can keep his eyes out.

"Thank you," Jenny said, turning once more to Hermione. She handed the girl the parchment. "That's where I live, on that paper, so if you get another letter, you will know where to find me.And please tell Harry everything.Let him know –tell him that when we get Sirius off, he'll have a place in my home, if he wants it."

"He'll want it, I'm sure."

"He would have had a place, for all these years, except for the Ministry."Jenny smiled sadly."But whatever happens, I hope to see him soon.My friends' son… I hear he looks like James."

"That's what everyone says," Hermione agreed.

"My son, he does resemble his father, but not that much.And at least he's got more sense.Usually."Hermione wasn't really sure Jenny had been talking to her at all.She turned and walked to the door, turning as she took the knob.Jenny was still staring into space.Hermione thought about saying something else, but just went out and downstairs.

Jenny stared around the entrance hall of her home.It all seemed foreign to her._It's far too quiet,_ she thought.For the first time in twelve years she was alone in the house.Of course the twins hadn't spent every minute of every day in the house, but they had had a _presence_ in the house, even if they weren't physically there.She felt lost._I've been happy in this house,_ she realized.The time she'd spent with her children… those few, wonderful months that she and Sirius had spent as newlyweds… somehow it seemed that those things had happened somewhere else.

She went upstairs while pondering what Dumbledore had told her.They still had no leads on Pettigrew.She'd told shim everything that had been in the letter.His eyes had lost their customary sparkle and he looked very serious.

"I don't have to tell you how bad this situation is," he'd said."Voldemort has his own plans, and we don't know what they are. He could do anything, and we can't stop him.Not yet, anyway.Not until we know where he is or what he's up to."Jenny had nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.She had cried a lot in the past few weeks, more than since after the Potters had died.Dumbledore's words didn't give her any reassurance, but she did appreciate that he told her the exact truth.

"I don't know where Sirius is, and Remus left again too," she had told him."So I can't give them Pettigrew's message, even if I thought that was the best thing to do."She took a deep breath to keep from weeping, and clenched her hands into fists. "And –Sirius would never do what Pettigrew asks, not even for the children.And neither would I." She looked away from Dumbledore, eyes blurred with the tears she could no longer hold back."I swore, when –when my friends died – that no matter what, if Voldemort ever returned, I would help stop him.Even if it cost my life.I've agonized over it these past three nights, thinking about what I'd say.If it was just my life, it would be easy, but the children –oh, my babies."She bit her lip, trying to pull herself together.A spot of blood appeared."But I will not help Voldemort.And I can't say that I won't try to stop him, because it's not true."

"Voldemort knows thatmost of his enemies are honorable people," Dumbledore said thoughtfully."Can you imagine one of us trusting that Voldemort would keep his word?"

"Of course not," Jenny said, shaking her head.A lock of her hair fell into her face, but she didn't brush it aside."But if I gave my word, I would keep it.So would Sirius."

"Voldemort knows that," Dumbledore repeated."I'm sure he thinks that is one of our weaknesses.But it is one of our strengths."

"Yes," Jenny said."But what good will that do us?"

"I don't know."

Now, standing in her home, Jenny thought again about her decision."But I won't let it come to that," she told herself.She'd come home, not to wait for news, as she'd told Fudge she was going to do, but to go and find her children.

She changed into warmer clothes and pulled out her bad-weather cloak.It might be cold where she was going.Then she went down to the broom closet.She glanced at her broom and smiled."Maybe Lily was right and I should have gotten a new one," she murmured, "but I think my old one will still serve."She remembered how well it had served her when she played Quidditch all those years ago and sighed.

Ten minutes later, she was above the clouds and heading north.The first thing she had to do was find Sirius or Remus.Fortunately, she knew where to start looking.

"James," I called quietly.It was dark, of course; the dungeons were lit only when Pettigrew or one of his men came down.My brother mumbled something."James!" I said louder.

"What?" he asked grumpily. 

"I'm trying to figure out how long we've been in here.Help me think."

"How can we guess?" James grumbled."They've fed us eighteen times and it hasn't been enough.Maybe a day between meals, maybe less."

"So a couple of weeks, at a guess," I said."I wonder where Mum and Dad are now."

"Looking for us," James said firmly."All right, now that I'm awake, what are we going to do?"

"Since we still can't escape or get word to our parents, nothing," I said, sitting myself on the floor.

"I mean, how are we going to occupy ourselves so we don't go nuts?"

"Not chess.You can visualize the board but I can't."

"Fine," he said."Riddles?"

"We've both asked every riddle we know in the past however long," I grumbled, crossing my arms.

"Then let's tell stories," he said.

"Well, give me a few minutes to think of one," I said.

"Got one yet?" he asked a while later.

"No.The only ones I can think of are about people being held prisoner by ogres, or chained to rocks for eternity, or starved to death by wicked stepmothers."

"Come on.Think of the ones Mum told us when we were younger."

"Like about the young princess who was kidnapped by an evil Muggle and rescued by a wizard on a Nimbus 2000?" I asked sarcastically."No, I don't think that I want to think about that sort of story."

"Fine, no stories then," James said sharply."Let's just sit here and count our toes and go slowly more insane, until we lose our minds and-" 

"Oh, shut up!" I yelled crossly."This is all your fault.If you'd listened to that centaur, we might have escaped."

"Oh yeah?" he retorted."What about if you had told me about the centaur so I might have believed her?"

"Sure, blame it on me!Say it wasn't your fault."We were right next to the bars between us now, yelling at each other's face, invisible in the inky darkness.James shoved me, hard, and I flew back into the wall.

"Ouch!" I yelled. 

"Oh, Lily," James said."I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gotten mad.Are you all right?"

"Yeah," I said, getting up from the ground."Hey, what's that?"

"What?" James asked interestedly.

"Where my boot hit the wall, there's a little crack now.I can see light!" I got down on my knees."It's some sort of window or something that was bricked up. The mortar's falling to bits, that's what I knocked out."

"Can you get any more out?"

"I think so."I began to chip at it as best as I could with my hands, but that was futile.So I took off my boot and started trying to knock out the mortar with the heel.That worked a little better.Five minutes later, I'd removed enough mortar to get a brick loose.

While I had been working, James had apparently moved closer to the bars than ever.

"I can see light!"He called as I got the brick out.A hole opened up, big enough to see through.I got down on my stomach and peered out.The wall seemed to be quite thick, but I thought that I might be able to get my arm through it if the hole was just a bit larger.

It was day outside, but cloudy, so it didn't take long for my eyes to adjust to the light."James," I said, "wherever we are, it's high up.I can see down for ages.Maybe this isn't really a dungeon, maybe it just looks like one."

"What do you see outside?" James demanded.

"Well, wherever we are, it's pretty wild.I don't see any other buildings, just land.It's pretty chilly, too."I shivered as a breeze touched my face. "I can see the sky pretty well –hey, what's that?Is it?Oh –James, I can't believe this!"

Let the flames begin!I am feeling rather sadistic today, so you get one of my best cliffhangers yet! Hehehe! And * gryn* for those who know what I mean.

**I'm sorry, I will try to keep that side under control.Standard disclaimer: All characters mentioned in the Harry Potter books belong to Ms. Joanne Kathleen Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, Scholastic Books, possibly Warner Brothers, and not me.I don't claim anyone except the characters I created.I think you can tell who they are.Please do not take anything I have created without asking first.Please nobody sue me, I'm trying to save up to go to Europe in a few years. Besides, my government's taken most of it… grumble… I just did my taxes… I hate the IRS.**


	6. Captured Pawns

In incredulity, I stared through the hole I'd made.

"What is it?" James demanded.

"It's Adhara!"I reached my hand out and managed to touch her feathers."How did she find us?"

"Never mind that, do you think we can use her to take a message to Mum or Dad?" James was pacing around restlessly; I could hear him."We don't have any paper or anything…"

"I know!" I yelled suddenly.

"Ouch! Keep it quiet!" James said angrily."We don't want Pettigrew down here, you know."

"Sorry.I just thought of something, that's all.I'll give her my bracelet.Mum gave it to me last Christmas, she'll recognize it."

"Good idea," James agreed.I took my bracelet and thrust it through the hole.

"Adhara, take this to Mum!Mum, Adhara, go, please!"I didn't know if she could understand me, but she took the bracelet in her beak and flew off.I watched her go."Oh, please get there," I whispered.

Clouds rolled in and it began to rain.I put the bricks that I had removed back so that the rain wouldn't come in and make me wet.Since the mortar was gone, it wouldn't take long to get them back out.But the blackness that fell once more in the cell seemed even darker now.

Light appeared again, far off, the torchlight that accompanied our meals.I was a bit surprised; it hadn't been that long since we'd last been fed. Perhaps Pettigrew thought we'd be willing to do whatever he wanted us to.If he did, he was sadly mistaken.

But it wasn't Pettigrew or any of the guards we'd seen.The person who stood now in our tower prison was a woman.She was a rather beautiful woman, too.She had very light blond hair and blue eyes. Her red lips were curled in scorn as she looked at us.When she finally spoke, her voice seemed colder than the stones on which I lay.

"So," she said."The Black twins.I had wondered when I'd meet you, but your mother doesn't seem to invite many of her old school friends to visit."She smiled spitefully."Of course, who could blame her?Why would any of them associate with her, other than the werewolf..."

"Don't say things like that about my mother!" James yelled.From the shadows, I knew he'd just leapt to his feet and was shaking his fist at the woman.

"As impetuous as your father," the woman said, again smiling."Perhaps you should remember where it got him.He could have been one of the most powerful men in the world, you know, if he'd chosen.I wasn't even that surprised when I learned he'd married your mother. He and his friends never knew what was best for them."

"Better in Azkaban than a traitor," I said bravely."Better dead than working for – for _Voldemort_!"I yelled the name as loudly as I could.

"I see we have lots to work on," the woman said unpleasantly."I'm glad Pettigrew fetched me before he could botch the job too badly."She laughed. "We'll be spendingmore time together later, dears.Goodbye for now."She swept off out of the cells, taking the torch with her.

"Who do you think that was?" James asked quietly.

"I have no idea," I whispered back."I don't like her at all, though.And – I mean, I really hate Pettigrew, but he seems different, somehow.He's evil, but he's such a coward that even when he's threatening us I'm not too scared.But her, she's different."

"Yeah," James said quietly."She's evil, too, but she's really terrifying.I think I'd rather face Pettigrew."

"Me too," I said, and shivered. It wasn't from the chill.

Jenny flew against the storm.She had no idea where she was anymore, and was having to employ every trick she'd ever learned, just to stay on. She knew she should have landed when the sky first began to darken, but she'd hoped to outrun the storm.Now it was too later; she'd never land safely in this.All she could hope to do was outride it.

_I really don't have any more sense than Sirius does,_ she thought fiercely._Much good I'm going to do James and Lily if I get killed like this._ She couldn't see anything more than a foot from the end of her broom, the winds were spinning her about, and she was sopping wet.She also hadn't eaten since she'd left her home that morning.She had no idea how high above the ground she was, either.She peered through the storm, trying to see what lay ahead of her.

Suddenly, in front of her, she saw a gigantic tree.She tried to swerve away, but she was too late.

Crash!She smashed hard against the trunk and fell eight feet to the ground. Something in her arm cracked, and she felt a burst of pain. She let out one shout of anguish, and then everything went dark.

Padfoot was curled up under a tree, trying to avoid the storm. His senses, however, were very alert, so he heard the distant shriek, barely audible over the storm.It was a woman's voice, terrified and in pain.

Padfoot knew whose voice it was, knew instinctively that Jenny was out there, hurt.He loped off in the direction the scream had come from, still in dog form.Really, in this storm, there wasn't any other way to travel.He had no idea why Jenny would be there, in this storm, but didn't waste any time pondering the matter.

He arrived at the foot of a great tree on the outskirts of the small wood.Jenny lay still and white, her left arm bent at a horrible angle behind her. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was very irregular.

In an instant, Padfoot transformed and Sirius crouched by his wife.He felt her pulse, noted that it was strong, and pulled out his wand.He hadn't wanted to use magic, for fear of who it might attract, but now he had no choice.With a few well chosen spells, he shut the wind and rain off from the two of them.He did his best to make Jenny more comfortable, straightening her broken arm out gently.He looked at it, considered setting it while she was unconscious, and rejected it as beyond his capabilities.With another wave of his wand, the air inside the magical shelter warmed considerably.

Now Jenny' breathing was more regular, and Sirius sighed with relief.He wondered why she was out here, and glanced around to see if there was any trace of how she'd arrived.He saw an old broom lying near the foot of the tree.

"So she flew in a storm like this," he mused, shaking his head."How she can say that I'm an idiot when she goes and pulls a fool stunt like that…"

He heard a soft noise from behind him and turned.She was blinking slowly, trying her best to sit up.

"Don't move," he said. She stared at him.

"Sirius?" she whispered weakly."What are you doing here?"

"Same thing you are, I'm sure," he said softly."Waiting for the storm to die down so that I can keep hunting Pettigrew."Jenny grinned and then grimaced in pain.

"Is my arm broken?" she asked.

"Yes," Sirius told her."I needed you awake before I could set it.Whenever you feel up to it, I'll try."

"No point in putting it off," Jenny sighed.She started to struggle upright again.Sirius helped her, setting her back against the tree.

"So, why were you flying in this weather?" he asked her.

"I thought I could outrun the storm," she said."And I didn't want to have to wait for it to be over.I've done enough waiting in the past three weeks."

"Are there any developments?" Sirius asked sharply."Is that why you're here?"

"Pettigrew sent me another letter," she sighed."He knows you're after him still. He –offered us a deal; if we promised not to oppose Voldemort, our children would be released and we'd be allowed to live as we liked."

"Jenny," Sirius began slowly, "You know that I could never ever agree to those terms."

"Of course I know that!" she snapped, her eyes full of tears."And I won't either.Even if we could trust Pettigrew –or Voldemort, for that matter – I wouldn't agree."She broke down crying."But oh, Voldemort's taken so much from me.My parents, my best friends, you for all those years… and now he's trying to take my children."

"He won't," Sirius promised, drawing her close to him and speaking softly."We'll get them out, Jenny, I promise we will."He stroked her hair gently.She sobbed harder for a moment, then drew back from him.

"Let's set this now," she said, indicating her arm."At least then that'll be over with."

"All right," Sirius said."This – I'm not very good with those healing charms, Jenny, and I'll have to put a cast on it, because I know I can't heal it all the way."

"All right," she agreed."What do you need me to do?"

"Hold very still," he said.She nodded, held out her arm, and bit her lips.He took her arm as gently as he could, pulled it out straight, and concentrated."O_ssum restitui_." he muttered.Jenny gave a cry of pain, briefly, and then sighed.Sirius conjured up a cast around the arm, and she leaned back.

"Well, I sure won't be able to fly now," she said ruefully, looking at the arm."Thank you, though, it feels a lot better."

"I'm sorry I had to be so rough," he apologised.

"That's hardly the worst I've felt in my life," she commented dryly."So, exactly where are we?"

"A little forest about ten miles from the castle where I think the twins are being held," he said.Jenny leapt up.

"Where?"She looked ready to dash off immediately.

"Jenny, we'll never get anywhere in this storm.We have to wait for it to blow over."

"Do you know anything about this castle?"

"As best as I can tell, there are about thirty of Voldemort's supporters in the castle.There could be more, though."

"Thirty to two?"

"Pretty good odds, I'd say," Sirius said, trying to grin.For just an instant Jenny caught a glimpse, in his eyes, of the man who she had know years ago.She smiled too.

"Well, they sure made a mistake when they kidnapped our children," she declared. "Even if Voldemort himself is there, he won't stop us."

"How could he?" Sirius asked."The two of us together… invincible, I'd say."

"Or at least very very stupid," she agreed."Then I suppose I should try to get some rest if we're leaving when the storm gets over."

"I agree," Sirius said."I think I'll curl up as a dog, if you don't mind… it has a few advantages, one being that it's a lot more comfortable when you're sleeping out of doors."

Jenny smiled."You know, I've heard a lot of women say that they've married dogs, but I think I'm the only one who actually has in the history of the world."They both laughed, and then Sirius transformed. He watched Jenny lie back against the moss and closed her eyes.

Padfoot was nervous, though.Something was not quite right. Animal instincts told him not to sleep, so he lay down and kept alert, ready to jump up at the slightest threat to him or Jenny.

A few minutes later he peered into the bush around him, sniffing the air.Something was nearby, but the storm was blowing the scent away from him.He could go try to find it, but that would leave Jenny alone.So he lay down again, still alert.

Suddenly something burst into the small sheltered area that he'd made.It was long and gray and covered in fur._Moony!_ the part of Padfoot that was a man realised.How could he not recognize the werewolf, when he'd seen him so often all those years ago? The wolf was making whimpering noises; it seemed to half-recognize Padfoot, but was torn between animal instincts and whatever bit of Remus remained.Then it spotted Jenny, who had not yet woken up, and dashed toward her, animal instincts winning out.Padfoot threw himself in front of the wolf, snarling.That woke Jenny up.She stood quickly and tried to climb the tree, but the first branch was too high for her to manage with her broken arm.She pulled out her wand and held it ready, but the two canines were so close together that she wasn't able to do anything to help Padfoot.Moony snarled and bit, trying to get free of the great black dog so that he could go after the human woman, but Padfoot refused to let him escape.The struggle took only a few minutes, but to Jenny it seemed an eternity.Finally Moony ran from Padfoot, whimpering.Perhaps running was the only way it could escape being torn between the desire to hunt and any human thought struggling through the wolf-mind.The black dog chased the wolf a short way before returning to the clearing and lying down, exhausted.He was too tired even to transform.Jenny knelt at his side.

"Oh, Sirius," she whispered as she saw the blood and the cuts on him."My dear Sirius.Thank you."She treated the cuts as best she could and made him lay his head in her lap.Then she stroked his fur, her hand gentle and warm.

Jenny opened her eyes slowly.The sun was shining down. She stretched her arms above her head, her muscles stiff and sore.She'd gone to sleep sitting against the trunk of the tree and that was not exactly one of the most comfortable positions to be in.

Sirius raised his head from her lap, and she smiled at him.He stood too, and changed from dog into man.

"Last night," Jenny asked uncertainly, "was that Remus?"

"Yes," Sirius said."I just hope he's all right."

"I was very scared there," Jenny admitted. She tried to think about what she was feeling, but couldn't.She'd had a glimpse last night of a side of Sirius he hadn't told her about; she wasn't really sure how she felt about the fact that he was an Animagus._Why can't I just say something to him?_ she wondered. _I used to be able to say anything to him, to talk to him about everything, but now…_She thought for a moment about this._It's been twelve years,_ she reminded herself._I've changed, he's changed… he has changed more than I have.What did Azkaban do to him? He isn't the same man I knew. _She thought about the way they had been years ago, at school, how Sirius had been a joking, laughing prankster, but how he could be a devoted friend and comrade._He was alone in Azkaban for all those years, with nothing but Dementors around him.I still have nightmares about the times I've met Dementors, and those times were for a few minutes each.What would it have done to him, year after year? I'd have gone crazy.I think anyone else would have gone crazy, but not Sirius.But it has changed him.What does this mean for me, for the twins, for our lives?_ She couldn't find any answers.

Suddenly there came a crackle from behind her.She whirled and saw Remus, looking tired and gray, with a cut or two on his arms.

"Remus!" Sirius called.Jenny hurried over to her friend and tried to look at the cuts.

"I'm sorry," Remus was saying."I found a hut in the woods a few days back, put some spells on it to keep me in, but it was too old, and last night I managed to get out.I – I might have killed you."He wouldn't look Jenny or Sirius in the face, and tried to pull his arm from Jenny.She hung on, regardless of the fact that she wore a cast.

"Nonsense, Remus," Jenny said firmly."Sirius was here, wasn't he?I wasn't harmed in the least – which is more than I can say for you."

"How did you get here, anyway?" Remus asked.So Jenny told him about the second letter, and leaving to find the twins herself, and the storm.

"Sit down," Sirius said."We've got to think how we're going to get the children out."So Jenny and Remus both sat on the ground and listened as Sirius began to outline his idea.

A hand was on my shoulder, shaking me awake.I opened my eyes and squinted, because whoever was waking me held a torch right above my head and the light was dazzling.I was hauled to my feet by the guard.James was also being woken, by another guard.

"Where are you taking us?" James asked, but neither answered. They marched us through the door of our prison and down a long, windy stair. I kept my eyes open, looking for a way to escape, but had found none when the guards halted in front of a pair of massive oak doors.One of the guards knocked shortly.The doors swung open.The beautiful woman we'd seen some time ago was in the room. green silk hangings decorated the room and soft flute music played in the background.She nodded to the guards, who left James and me and shut the doors.

"How nice to see you again," the woman said."Sit down."She gestured to two comfortable looking seats.I glanced at James, who shrugged and sat.I followed suit.

"Why don't you have something to eat?" the woman invited, pointing to the table full of food beside us.Fresh fruits and delicious-looking sandwiches stood next to piles of chocolates and cakes. My stomach growled, but I didn't touch the food.

"And risk you poisoning us? No thanks," James said, crossing his arms.

"My dear children, I swear that nothing in that food will harm you," the woman said.

"I'm sure all of Voldemort's supporters can be trusted to keep their word," I said sarcastically.

"I never break my word," the woman said coldly."And you keep a more civil tongue when you speak to me, young woman."I thought of sticking my tongue out at her, but didn't.

"Very well," the woman said, "as you won't eat…" she clapped her hands and the food vanished.The fire leapt up a little, and the room began to fill with sweet scents. The warmth, soft music, and good smells made me feel a little sleepy.

"Now, let us talk."I glanced at James.He still had his arms crossed, and didn't open his mouth.I mimicked him.

"Your mother has no doubt told you all about the Dark Lord," the woman said softly."Hasn't she?"

"Of course," James said."He's evil, and you're evil."

"My dear boy, I am no more evil than you are."She smiled at James."It's simply that you are on the side that opposes us.If you were on our side, you would know that we are good, and that he is destined to rule the world."

"Not if I have anything to do with it," I muttered.I didn't mutter softly enough, though, for the woman shot me a glance, and a sharp pain crossed my head.I shook my head.

"Perhaps you do not know the full extent of his powers," she said simply, and turned back to James. "And of course your mother has not told you everything she knows.Why would you say that my master is evil?"

"He kills people," James said simply.

"My dear boy, your father has tried to kill several people in his life, and has not succeeded thanks only to his friends.How is he any different from my master?"

"My dad wouldn't do that!" I shouted.

"Wouldn't he?" the woman purred, smoothing her green silk dress."When he was only sixteen, he tried to kill an enemy… it would have succeeded had a friend of your father's not risked his own life to save the other boy."She smiled coldly."Your father was always interested in doing what he wanted, no matter what the cost to anyone else."

"That isn't true," I said."If it were true, Mum would never have married him."

"Oh, yes, your perfect mother," she said softly."Does it ever occur to you, my dear, that you may be a little too uncritical of your parents?"I didn't answer. She smiled again and pushed a loose tress behind her shoulder."After all, your mother and father are not perfect."

"Well, at least my parents haven't tried to take over the world!" James answered. "Not like Voldemort."He scowled at her.

"No, but then neither has my master," the woman said softly."He doesn't want to take over the world, you know.He just feels that it is his duty to help our kind against the Muggles.The current rulers of our kind are doing nothing to prevent Muggles from learning secrets that would make them dangerous to us.There are many more of them than of us, you know."

"He's evil!" I cried.She glanced at me again, and again a pain split my head.She snapped her fingers.The music increased in volume just a little, the perfume became more intense, and the room got warmer.

"Evil is a hard word," she said softly."What do you call evil?"

"Well, bad," I said, struggling to think."Doing things that hurt others."

'Then life itself is evil," the woman said slowly."All life lives by killing other life.Humans live off of each other, exploiting each other for profit and satisfaction.Every relationship in life is based on struggling for power over others.Is that not evil?"

"No, that's not right," I said.I felt as though my brain was full of wool."That isn't right… What about love?"

"What is love?" she asked softly.I noticed that her words almost fit the rhythm of the music.

"Love, it's when people care for each other and would do anything for each other," James said slowly."It's the strongest thing in the world."

"But that is simply ridiculous," she said reasonably."If you'd do anything for someone else, that means you might get hurt yourself."

"That's right," I said."That's what makes love special."

"But that isn't wonderful," she said, again in a smooth, reasonable voice."That's just silly.And if someone really loved you, would that person hurt you?"

"Of course not," James said.

"Well, let me show you some things," she said quietly.Suddenly, in the middle of the room, I saw images, about three feet high.I recognized them as my parents, but about sixteen years younger. 

"Well, if that's how you're going to be, I don't see why I should bother talking to you anyway," my father was shouting.

"Just like any man," Mum yelled back."Tell a girl he loves her, be wrong about one thing, and then walk out.Can't you apologize?"

"You're the one at fault here!"

"I am not!" She reached out and slapped him, hard."I'm leaving now."She turned to go, and the scene faded.Another replaced it.It was my mother, all alone, talking to herself about how jealous she was of Lily.I thought she must be about fourteen years old in this image.It too faded, quickly, and was replaced by a different scene.The woman showed us about six different pictures of people we knew hurting each other.

"So you still think love is something good?" she asked softly.She snapped her fingers, and in an instant I remembered every time my brother had hurt me somehow, or been mean, or just selfish.And my heart filled with despair as my head filled with confusion, and I wanted to give up and say that she was right.

"No," I whimpered."You aren't right.Love is good, it is.We are good, and you are evil.We're on the good side."

"But don't you see?" she asked softly."These things you call good have bad in them, and the things you call bad… well, think of the times you've gotten out of trouble by lying, or gotten something you wanted by being selfish? Isn't that good?So if bad has good and good has bad, how can anything be evil or good?" My head spun with her words."There is no good side, and no bad side. You are just being fooled by your mother and other adults because they want to use you." She smiled sweetly."After all, good and evil are things made up for children, and you aren't children any more. Come with me, my master can set you free, make you powerful beyond belief… Come and be free."She stretched her hands out to us, and I wanted to take one.Then something hard flashed in her eyes.For an instant, I knew exactly what was happening, and jumped to my feet.

"No!" I yelled."You won't make us free, you want us to be your slaves!And maybe bad is good and good is bad, and maybe nobody on earth loves anyone else, and maybe this whole world would be better off with Voldemort ruling.But I don't care.Even if no one else on this planet is good, I'm going to try to be.And I think that love is real.Maybe that makes me a fool, or a puppet, but I'd rather be a puppet to my mum and dad and their friends than a pawn of yours!"And I picked up a pillow and swung it at her head.Of course, a pillow is not a very good weapon, but she seemed startled.

"You tell her, Lil!" James shouted, and tried to hit the woman.She ducked out of reach, muttered something under her breath, and James stood frozen.

"What did you do to him?" I shrieked.

"Nothing permanent, girl, but I was making good progress with him until you ruined it. I suppose you'll never learn, any more than your mother would, but I think your brother shows promise."She clapped her hands and the guards came back in."Put her in the North Tower," she said coldly.The guards marched me off.I struggled as best I could, but it was hopeless.I worried about James. Surely she wouldn't be able to make him turn to the dark side?Please be careful, James, I begged, knowing that he couldn't hear my thoughts anyway.

The guards were taking a long time to get wherever they were taking me.We climbed about seven staircases, walked along miles of corridors, and finally went up another staircase, twice as long as the last.At the top was a room with a trapdoor in the ceiling.One opened the door, the other pushed me in.The door slammed back down and I was alone.

I looked around.The place where I was reminded me strongly of a cage.Iron bars were all around me, but between them I could see sky and land.The only solid surface was the floor; the walls and ceiling were networks of the bars. I shivered, because I was up so high that it was terribly windy and cold. The ground was a very long way below me.I knew that this cell would be twice as bad as the other as soon as a storm came, for I would freeze and be soaked.There was nothing I could do, though, so I sat down and stared at my shoes.Things had never looked so bleak.

**Oh dear, another cliffie…. I'm busily writing away, on this and Magical Mischief Makers.I have some lovely miserable bits coming up.Meanwhile, I'm feeling depressed, so the sad bits will be very sad…. And some interesting bits coming up in both stories with temptation…. As for the woman, well, you know her already… I'm referring to her as the 'Emerald Witch' in my own mind.Anyone else read _The Silver Chair_?Apologies for anything I plagiarized too badly, but CS Lewis was a great writer and can spare a few ideas.**

** **

**Anything that belongs to JK Rowling is not mine.Anything that isn't hers is mine.**


	7. Checkmate?

"Sirius, you've got to be joking," Jenny said, staring at him.Sirius didn't look as if he were fooling, though.He seemed tired but firm."We can't just walk in there!"

"Why not?" he asked stubbornly, staring at Jenny and Remus, who also looked unconvinced."That's the best way to get the twins out."

"They'll throw us in the dungeons or kill us," Jenny pointed out. 

"Not if they think we're coming to join them," Sirius said slowly."Pettigrew would like that… no, Peter might not like that, but his master would."A look of hatred shone on his face for an instant."They'd like all three of us to join them."

"They won't believe us, though," Remus said softly."We sided with Dumbledore all those years back, you refused their offer…."

"But I hadn't been locked in Azkaban for twelve years then, and my children's lives were not at risk."Sirius stared off into the darkness."One thing about a traitor, he's sure that everyone else also has a price."

"The idea of walking into that castle…." Jenny shivered." 'Step into my parlor', and all that.But…. I'll risk anything to get James and Lily out."

"I know," Sirius said, his face grim."We'll just have to wager that we'd be more use to them alive than dead."

"So we just walk up and knock at the gates?" Remus asked, skeptical.Sirius frowned.

"Well, no, I don't know if that's the best thing to do."

"Then I expect that's exactly what you're planning on doing." Jenny crossed her arms."We need more of a plan before we try something so stupid."

"Go ahead and plan, then," Sirius growled, getting to his feet. "The more time you spend, the more likely it is that Pettigrew or Voldemort will decide he doesn't need the twins any more."He stood. "You keep going on about your children this, and your children that, but they're my son and daughter too!"

"Some father you are," Jenny spat, getting to her feet as well."I keep them safe for twelve years, you show up, and two weeks later they're kidnapped by Voldemort!"

"Oh, so it's my fault?" Sirius challenged.

"Sirius! Jenny!" Remus shouted over the argument.They broke off and turned toward him.He was frowning."Is this doing any good? At all? Stop it, both of you.You're both upset, and worried, but that's no reason to go and loose your tempers."

"You're right, Remus," Jenny said in a small voice."And I'm – I'm sorry, Sirius, I shouldn't have said that, it wasn't true."

"I know you're worried," Sirius said."I'm worried too. Remus is right, we both snapped.But maybe you were right about needing to think this through a little."

"And you were right that we can't take too long," Jenny admitted."So we'd best start thinking."Just then, a bird shot out of the sky and landed softly near Jenny's feet."It's Adhara!" she said in surprise, bending down."She's got something, too."Jenny pulled the small chain from the eagle's talons."It's – it's Lily's bracelet that I gave her…. She must be alive!"

"Perhaps the bird can be of use to us," Sirius said, staring at her."If we could persuade it to carry a message to Pettigrew, telling him we're coming to discuss terms…."

"Right," Jenny said briskly, pulling out her wand.She conjured up parchment, ink, and a quill, but then stopped."I can't write with this on," she said, motioning to her cast. "Remus, you do it."

"What should I write?" Remus asked, picking up the parchment and quill.Sirius rubbed his chin, pondering.

"Write, 'Pettigrew, we are coming to see if we can make an arrangement that will –' oh, how should we phrase this?"

" 'Make an arrangement that will benefit both us and your master,'" Jenny put in.

"Got it," Remus said, writing rapidly."Now what?"

" 'We think we would like to accept some offers your master has previously made us,'" Sirius said slowly." 'If you will meet with us, hang a red flag on the spire of the highest tower of your castle, and we will come.'"Remus grimaced as he wrote.

"We're not actually promising anything, are we?" Jenny asked nervously, reading the letter over Remus' shoulder.

"Not really," Sirius said."Just implying things."He took the quill and signed his name.Remus followed suit, and Jenny, the cast making her clumsy, wrote 'Jenny Black' under the other two signatures.

"There," she said, standing up."Let's see what that rat makes of this."

"Elaida! Elaida!"Pettigrew hurried through the dank corridors, holding the newly arrived missive."Elaida!"

"What do you want now, Pettigrew?" the woman said coldly as he burst in.She was wearing green silk, again; Pettigrew wondered if she ever wore anything else."I was making excellent headway with the Black boy until you started yelling."

"Never mind that, we have bigger thing to worry about!" he said eagerly."Look!"He shoved the letter to her.She read it slowly, eyes widening slightly as the only sign of her surprise.

"Interesting," she commented, handing the letter back to Pettigrew. 

"Is that all you have to say?" Pettigrew demanded, throwing up his arms and waving them in wild circles."This is incredible!Our master will reward me for this!Those three, on our side…."

"A coup for him," Elaida said softly."Three powerful wizards… of course, they haven't done much for the other side in recent years, but that's not because of anything they chose…. Yes, a definite coup."She crossed the room."If it's genuine," she concluded.

"It's got to be genuine," Pettigrew said, hurrying over to her."I checked the signatures, they're real, and one of my men is hanging the red flag now."

"Still, they were all quite ardent in their belief that they were right, the last time we met," Elaida said coolly, crossing her arms and staring at Pettigrew.She was a full head taller than he was."I must say, though, it is gratifying to see that you put the good of the cause ahead of any personal desire for revenge."

"Revenge?" Pettigrew asked, bewildered.Elaida stared at him, a sneer on her lips.

"The last time you met your old friends, they tried to kill you," she clarified."Most people might be upset at that."

"Oh, but if we're all on the same side," Pettigrew squeaked."I mean, they were my friends, you know.I looked up to them all."

"You looked up to Potter, too, and that didn't stop you betraying him."

"I do as the Master commands," Pettigrew said simply."I wonder what they'll want in exchange for their loyalties."

"The children, for one thing," Elaida said carelessly."I won't have to finish my work on the boy if his parents really do change sides.Pity; he's quite an interesting subject. Reminds me of his father."Then she sneered."And that girl –well, I shall let her mother deal with the little brat.They deserve each other."She stared coldly at Pettigrew."I assume you've given orders to your men for suitable precautions?"

"Yes," Pettigrew said, glancing rapidly around the room at anything except Elaida's face."They won't be permitted to keep their wands, of course, and the castle is on alert."

"That will probably be adequate," Elaida conceded."I'd be on my guard, though – I will be, because I'm going to be there with you."

"Why?It's not likely to make negotiations any easier.Jenny hates you as much as you hate her,"

"I don't believe that is possible," Elaida said quietly.Pettigrew ignored her interruption.

"You were never on good terms with Remus, and after the way you fouled up with Sirius before, I doubt he'll want to see you either."

"Well, that's your problem," she said coldly. "I don't trust you, Pettigrew.You may claim that you want to serve our Master, but I know you're only in this for yourself.Besides, even if you are loyal, you'd probably mess up everything on your own."She sneered at him.

"I am in command here," Pettigrew reminded her."Not you, or your brother."

"That's because my brother has much more important things to do than to sit here babysitting Black's brats," she spat."Of course, that's all you can be trusted with right now."Pettigrew looked as if he might try to strike her, but they were interrupted by a guard coming in.

"Sir, three people are at the gates."

"Let them in!" Pettigrew barked."Take them to the Council Hall."

"No," Elaida broke in, "Take them to my parlor."The guard nodded and turned.Pettigrew looked at Elaida.

"Any reason why you contradicted my order? After all, I am in command here!" His voice rose to a screech.

"Simply that my parlor is rather more impressive than that drafty council room. And it's very good for persuasion."

"Fine," Pettigrew nodded and started to leave."Coming?" 

"Of course I am."She rolled her eyes behind his back and followed him out.

Jenny looked around the room, trying to hide her nervousness.It was hung with green silk and a large fire blazed at one end.In front of her were Pettigrew and a woman she had hoped never to see again: Elaida Malfoy.Jenny and Elaida had never been friends at school, and afterwards… Jenny pulled her mind away from the afterwards to concentrate on Pettigrew.He was smiling and spread his arms expansively.

"Welcome, my old friends, welcome."Sirius and Remus were staring at him, trying not to show their disgust.Jenny had not seen him since a few days before he had betrayed the Potters, and she was amazed at the changes in him.He was quite thin, although it seemed he had put some weight back on recently.Most of his hair was gone, and he had the habit of shifting his gaze about rapidly.He also kept licking his lips nervously.The trio's wands were in his belt, and his hand kept touching them, seemingly wanting assurance that Jenny, Remus and Sirius were still unarmed. "Welcome," he said again.

"Where are my children?" Jenny burst out.She had tried not to say anything, had wanted to let Sirius handle things, but….

"I'll send for them shortly," Pettigrew said."They are well, I assure you.Sit down?" He motioned to some chairs.Jenny, Sirius and Remus seated themselves."Now, your letter said we might make a deal…."

"Your master offered all of us 'deals' years ago," Sirius said.He fastened Pettigrew's eyes with his own dark stare.

"And you'd like to accept them?" Pettigrew asked eagerly."I assure you, you won't be making a mistake.My master can be most generous to his valuable servants, most generous.Power, wealth, fame… he can give it to you."

"All I want right now are my children," Jenny said firmly, staring at Pettigrew and wondering why Elaida didn't speak.

"But of course, you'll get them," Pettigrew said, flinging out his arms in an expansive gesture."Remus, there are men on our side who can supply you with the Wolfsbane potion.Sirius, I'm sure we can find a way to get the Ministry off your tail."He smiled widely.Jenny rather thought he was enjoying his role of benefactor. "And, if you don't want to, er, well, that is, if you wish to remain out of the general –"

"He's trying to say, if you're too squeamish for killings, you needn't dirty your hands with such work," Elaida broke in coldly."There are plenty of other things you might be able to do."

"I won't agree to anything until I see my children," Sirius said firmly."Bring them here now." Jenny put her hand on Sirius' arm and stared at the scowling Elaida.

"I'd prefer to wait until we are sure of where we stand," Pettigrew said, shifting a little, nervously.

"How do we know they've not been harmed?" Jenny asked, clenching her hands into fists.

"I already told you they were unharmed," Pettigrew said. " Now, if we can…"

"Your word is hardly worth much to us," Sirius pointed out.

"The children are unharmed," Elaida said softly."I agree, you can't trust Pettigrew-" she shot him a cold glance, "but I always keep my word.Don't I?" She stared at them.Jenny thought and realised that Elaida might be telling the truth.At least, she knew that the woman had kept her word before…

"I want to see them," she demanded."They're my children, and I'm worried about them.Surely you understand that I cannot even think about making a deal with you until I have seen them?"She tried to make herself sound pitiful and desperate, the impression that she wanted to give Pettigrew and his flunkies.

"Very well," Pettigrew said.He clapped his hands.Two guards appeared instantly."Bring the children here at once," he said to them.They nodded and left.

Five minutes later, they were back, James and Lily being force-marched between the guards.The children stared as they entered the room, then wrenched free of the guards and ran toward their parents.

"Mum! Dad!" James shouted.

"I knew you'd find us!" Lily exclaimed.Jenny hugged them both.

"My babies, my babies," she whispered, crying.They were both very dirty and Lily especially was cold, but they were alive.Jenny felt as if her heart would break with joy.Now all they had to do was get out of this castle alive.Not that that would be very easy…. Pettigrew cleared his throat.

"I apologize for breaking up the family reunion," he said, "but we have some things to discuss."

"Yes, we do," Sirius said, frowning.He looked at Remus, who nodded. Before Pettigrew realised what was happening, Sirius had leapt at him, changing to Padfoot in midair.The great black dog bore Pettigrew to the ground.Jenny ran forward and grabbed the wands from Pettigrew's belt.He squeaked and transformed.Padfoot seized the rat, who squealed and twisted, but to now avail.Lily and James had shrunk back toward the chairs, nervous.

Elaida had been taken off guard, but now she brought up her wand. Jenny saw her point it at Sirius, still in dog form.Without thinking, Jenny threw up her arm and knocked the woman's wand away.The curse shot harmlessly past Sirius, destroying a statue.Elaida turned to Jenny, her face a mask of hate.Jenny's wand had been knocked from her hand when she has stopped Elaida, and now the other woman pointed her wand directly at Jenny' heart.But instead of loosing some deadly curse, as Jenny had expected, her face went under a terrible series of spasms.

"No," she muttered."I swore!"She spoke a charm and vanished from the room.As she did, an alarm began to sound, far off.

"We'd better hurry," Remus yelled. Smoke had begun to fill the room. Jenny began to couch, and heard the others doing the same.

"He's gone!" Sirius yelled.Jenny could see him through the smoke, looking around frantically."I accidentally dropped him when Elaida tried to kill me, but I thought he was unconscious. There's no sign of him."

"We've got to get out of here!" Jenny choked out.She felt panic rising in her at the smell of the smoke, saw images in her minds' eye that had haunted her dreams for years, felt the old terrors creep over her… Sirius nodded and took his son's arm.Jenny, holding Lily, Apparated herself home.

The five stood in the entranceway of the old manor house.James and Lily looked about happily.Remus leaned against the wall, still coughing.

"This close!" Sirius muttered."This close to having Pettigrew."

"We'll get him yet," Remus declared."But you better get out of here, Sirius.I'm sure the Ministry's keeping a close watch on this place."

"I'm too tired to Apparate right now," Sirius admitted."Maybe after I have something to eat…."

"Lily, come help me make a celebration dinner," Jenny said.She still held her daughter's hand.Lily grinned.

"I'm starving," she said."We haven't had a decent meal in I don't know how long."

A half hour later, five hungry people sat down to a huge meal.Laughter and talk filled the room, and light danced on the ceiling.

"This is what life should have been like," Sirius said to Jenny."This is what it will be like, I promise.I'll get Pettigrew and we'll be able to live happily."

"Ever after?" she asked playfully."Maybe you'll be able to convince Remus to stay with us.I asked him a hundred times, but he was always afraid of hurting the children."

"I'll do my best," he promised."It's a shame that neither of us is any good at Potions."She smiled at him, and his heart grew lighter within him."Did I ever tell you that I loved you?"

"Once or twice," Jenny said, "but I don't mind hearing it again."

"And I don't mind saying it again."

Finally everyone pushed back from the table.

"I suppose I'd better go," Sirius said reluctantly.James and Lily both hugged him.Jenny gave him a kiss.

"You be careful," she warned him."Please?"

"I will," he promised.Then he disappeared.Jenny stared at the spot where he had been for a minute, then turned.

"All right, we need to get you two cleaned up," she said.They headed for the stairs.Just then, a knock came on the door.Jenny pulled it open.The weather outside had turned nasty; rain was pouring down from the black sky.Three cloaked figures stood on the doorstep.

"Are you Jenny Black, sometimes called Jenny Anderson?" one of the men asked.

"I am," she said, confused.

"Then, it is my duty as a Hit Wizard for the Ministry of Magic, to put you under arrest for treason." 

**Oh, that was a nasty cliffhanger, wasn't it?Well, don't worry; I have most of the next part worked out, so it won't be long now.Although Jenny's life story is beginning to remind me of the Book of Job, I think that probably she's reached her lowest point and from here it's all back upwards.And I'm sure there were things in there that you didn't get – well, don't worry, you haven't missed something, I just haven't explained everything in the past yet.**

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All characters mentioned in the Harry Potter books are J.K. Rowling's, and Scholastic and Bloomsbury's.I promise I'm not making any money off of this –after all, who'd pay me? – and I am not claiming that any 'official' characters are mine.The ones I invented are my property, though, so please don't take without asking.


	8. A Different Game

A Different Game

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**Good, I can use different titles now.I was running out of chess things!And here it is, the piece that will answer all the questions you have.Not.No way it will answer most of them, and it should raise even more.But it will answer some questions. Oh, and this part features the debut of a brand new OC! Read and find out.**

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Jenny paced up and down the cell.She knew Remus was somewhere, probably nearby, but she couldn't see more than a few feet away through the window of the cell.

_It's not Azkaban.You'll be fine.Dumbledore will come and set them all straight._ She told herself such things over and over.Of course, if he didn't come, she would be sent to Azkaban, she was sure of it.

She'd seen Snape once, just after arriving at the Ministry holding cells.He was wearing a gloating smile._He must have enjoyed seeing me arrested_, Jenny thought.Jenny tried not to worry about James and Lily; they'd been brought along, but surely the Ministry wouldn't think they were traitors?

"This is so unfair," she said aloud."I just got them back!"

A scrape alerted her that the door was being unlocked. A moment later, Albus Dumbledore came in.

"Professor!" she said, relieved."Can you get me out of here?"

"I'm afraid not," he said."Jenny, I need you to tell me exactly what happened since I last saw you."Jenny began her tale.When she finished, Dumbledore looked at her gravely.

"The Ministry had succeeded in locating Pettigrew's headquarters -although they thought the castle was where Sirius was hiding.They didn't manage to capture anyone, but they found documents proving that Pettigrew is alive."

"That's good," Jenny said, wondering why he looked so gloomy."That means that we can prove Sirius is innocent."

"They also found the letter," Dumbledore said quietly."The one you and Sirius and Remus wrote.That's enough to convince them that all three of you are working together, and for Voldemort.Snape thinks the letter was written just after Sirius escaped Azkaban, that that is the reason why he was at Hogwarts.He's convinced Fudge, too."

"Can't you talk sense into them?" Jenny pleaded.

"I've tried, Jenny.Snape won't listen, and Fudge is listening only to Snape these days.I believe they think I'm going senile."Dumbledore smiled a little."They could be right, you know."

"They're not," Jenny said firmly, crossing the cell and sitting down."So what are we going to do?"

"You and Remus, and Sirius if they catch him, will stand trial in a few weeks," Dumbledore said quietly."All I can do is get you a good lawyer, and make sure that you get as fair a trial as possible."

"What about my children?" Jenny asked."Who will look after them?"

"Term begins at Hogwarts in two days," Dumbledore said."Their names are in the book, you know."

"They could go there?" Jenny looked at him in surprise.

"It will be hard on them," Dumbledore admitted. "Being known as children of accused Dark wizards.But I think they will be all right."

"Yes," Jenny said, nodding, "They can go there.They'll need money for supplies."

"I'll arrange everything at Gringotts," Dumbledore assured her.

"You'll have to take it out of Sirius' account," Jenny said wearily, her head cradled in her hands."I never touched his, but my money is almost gone."

"I will handle everything," Dumbledore assured her.

"Can I see them before they go?" Jenny pleaded, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, but the Minister said no."

"Well, tell them -tell them I love them."Jenny wiped a tear off her cheek."And if you hear from that husband of mine," she said fiercely, "tell him not even to think about trying some stupid rescue plan.I'll be fine."

"I will, Jenny." Dumbledore turned to leave.Jenny looked down at her feet.When she looked up, he was gone.

I was really quite tired of being hauled around by adults by now.First Pettigrew and his men treated my brother and me like potatoes or luggage or something, then the Ministry people hauled us out of our house in the night and accused our mother of treason.They assigned a young woman at the Ministry to look after us.She seemed rather afraid of us, to tell the truth, which would have been funny if I wasn't so upset.James and I dozed on couches for a while. Then the door opened and Albus Dumbledore came in.

I'd never met Professor Dumbledore before, but of course I recognized him. He has one of the most well known faces in the wizarding world, after all.He smiled kindly at James and me.

"Where's our mother?" James asked.

"I'm afraid that she won't be released right now," he said sadly.

"What's going to happen to us?" I asked, my lip trembling.I was not feeling twelve years old at all; more like seven.I just wanted to sit down and cry.

"You two will be coming to Hogwarts," he said, a kind light shining in his blue eyes.

"Hogwarts?" James stared at him.

"But we're too old!" I exclaimed.

"Well, you'll go into the second year.After all, I'm sure your mother taught you what the first years learn anyway."He smiled at us."I'm going to arrange for someone to come and take you shopping tomorrow, and then to look after you until it's time to go to Hogwarts."

"Can we see Mum?" I asked.

"No," he said, the twinkle in his eyes dimming for a moment."But I will ask the Minister to let you write to her, and you can tell her about Hogwarts.I'm sure she'd want you two to have as good a time there as she did."

"Yes, sir," James said.I didn't say anything, just clenched my hands and tried not to cry.

After Dumbledore left, I turned to my brother.

"Maybe it won't be too bad," I said hopefully."Mum and Dad seem to have had fun at Hogwarts...."

"Yeah, but their parents weren't accused of working for Voldemort," James said gloomily."They'll probably put us in Slytherin."

"Can we be optimistic?" I asked.

"Optimists should be killed with their own wands and buried under a pig pen," James said, sitting down.

"Maybe we should try to sleep." I suggested, lying down and closing my eyes.James didn't answer, but soon I heard his snores.I followed him shortly afterwards.

Next morning, the Ministry girl brought us breakfast early.We ate silently, and then we asked the girl who was going to help us get our school stuff.

"Someone who works for the Ministry."She waved vaguely."He's got some kids himself and promised not to hold your-" she broke off.I knew what she had been about to say; _not to hold your parents' crimes against you._I didn't try to speak to her again.

About an hour later, the door opened and a balding man with bright red hair came in. He wore glasses and looked slightly nervous.But he smiled kindly at us.

"Hello, there.I'm Arthur Weasley.You two must be James and Lily Anderson?"

"Black," James said firmly."James and Lily Black."The man looked a little awkward, but nodded.

"Er, my wife and I are going to look after you until tomorrow - Professor Dumbledore did talk to you?"

"Yes," I said.

"Good.Come with me, Molly's waiting."We followed Mr. Weasley out of the room, down stairs, and outside.His wife was waiting, and so were four children; three boys and a girl, all older than we were.

"This is my wife, Molly, and my children, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny," he said, introducing us.The twins eyed us with interest.Ron looked as if he wanted to ask us something, and Ginny seemed to be trying to make up her mind about us.

"Poor dears," Mrs. Weasley muttered.I don't think she knew we heard her."Poor things."Mr. Weasley led us off up the street.Ron fell back with us.

"Are -are you really Sirius' kids?" he asked uncertainly.We nodded."I met your dad a few months back," he said quietly."And he definitely wasn't working for You-Know-Who.Your mum isn't either, is she?"

"No," I said."Do your parents know?"

"Nah.They wouldn't believe me if I told them, I'm sure.But Harry and Hermione know -my friends, Harry Potter, you know who he is, - and I told Fred and George.They believe me, and they think your dad was pretty cool."He grinned."Fred and George are mischief makers too."We stopped talking because we'd arrived at Gringotts. I had hoped that we'd get to go in one of the carts again, but Mr. Weasley just walked up to the counter, showed a letter, and the goblin handed him a bag of coins.

"Dumbledore took care of everything," he said cheerfully."Let's see, Molly, you have a list of what these two need?"

"Yes, dear," she said."I suppose you two have wands?" she asked.

"Yes," I said, holding up mine.That had been the first thing I'd picked up when we got home last night.

"Good.Well, we'll get everything else."So she headed off, all her children and James and me following her like ducklings.

The next day, the Weasleys took us to King's Cross, and we followed the boys through the barrier.Fred and George helped us load our trunks on, then ran off to look for trouble.

"Hey! Harry!" Ron yelled, waving at someone.Harry came over, and I tried not to stare.

Harry was about two years older than I was.His black hair stuck up everywhere, and his green eyes looked out from behind glasses.I could see the famous lightning scar, too.

"Who's this?" he asked Ron.

"James and Lily Black," Ron said quietly.Harry looked at us. I couldn't quite tell what he was thinking.Suddenly I remembered that James and Lily were his parents' names.

"Black?" he asked.

"Sirius is our father," James said.Harry stared at us.

"I didn't know Sirius had kids," he said.

"Hermione found out and wrote to me, but we couldn't get an owl to you," Ron said hurriedly.

"Where is your father?" Harry asked."I heard from him once...."

"Hiding, I hope," I said."I hope they didn't find him."

"You two look a little older than most first years," Harry said, changing the subject.

"Oh, we're second years." James said."We just didn't go last year... Mum was teaching us at home..."

"I see," Harry said, though he looked confused."So, why are you here now?"

"You sure haven't been around recently," Ron said."It's been all over the papers.Sirius' wife and Lupin were arrested for conspiring to help You-Know-Who."

"Lupin's been arrested?" Harry asked sharply."I'll bet it had something to do with Snape."

"I don't know," Ron said."They said they found a letter or something, incriminating him."

"Uncle Remus isn't working for Voldemort any more than Mum is," I said.Ron cringed.

"Great.Another person who won't say You-Know-Who like everyone else."

"We decided not to when we were in Pettigrew's dungeons," James declared.

"Dungeons? Cool."Fred -or maybe George - had wandered up and caught the rest."By the way, Hermione's down at the other end.She's got a compartment for you."

"Thanks, George," Ron said.He looked at us."Do you two want to come along?"

"I guess," James said.I thought it was a good idea.No telling if anyone else on the train would be nice to us, if they knew who we were.

The boys entered a compartment with a single girl in.Hermione looked up, smiling.

"There you are," she said."Oh, are you the Black twins?"

"Yes," I said."How did you know?"

"You look like your mum," she said."I met her this summer.I'm glad she found you..." Her face clouded."But I saw the papers yesterday.Is Professor Lupin all right?

"I think so," James said."I hope my mum and dad are."

"Will someone please explain everything that's going on?" Harry asked."I'm getting bits and pieces here, but I want the whole picture, okay?"

"Well, it's a long story," I said.

"Go ahead.It's a long trip."So James and I began to explain everything that had happened in the past few months.

"Wow," Ron said when we were done."That's -incredible."

"So who was that woman with Pettigrew?" Harry asked.

"I don't know.I think her name was Elaida," I said."She was horrible."

"Her description reminds me of someone," Hermione said thoughtfully."But I'm not sure who."

Just then, the door slid open and three boys came in.Two were thickset gorillas, but it was the middle boy who made my palms sweat.He had white blond hair, cruel eyes, and looked exactly like a short, male version of the green woman.I let out a little gasp.His eyes flickered toward my brother and me.

"True to form," he drawled, looking at Harry."First the Weasleys, Hagrid, and Mudbloods, now criminals."

"We're not criminals!" James yelled, balling up his hands into fists.

"Really?Well, your parents are, so what's the difference?"

"My parents are not criminals," I said.Ron, meanwhile, had stood up.

"Get out, Malfoy," he said.His face had gone very red.

"Are you going to make me?" Malfoy sneered.

"Yes," Ron said."We will."Malfoy glanced around, seemed to note that there were five of us, and sneered.

"Well, I'm sure you will get along fine with your criminal friends, Potter.See you at Hogwarts."He left.

"Do you think it was his mum?" James asked me.

"Maybe," I said."Or an aunt or something."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"He looks exactly like the woman in green who was working with Pettigrew," I said."Probably not his mum.She didn't have any rings on her fingers."

"Dad always said that Lucius Malfoy was working for You-Know-Who," Ron commented."He might have a sister, I could find out, I guess..."

"She was one of the most evil people I ever met," I said slowly."Not like Pettigrew; he's pathetic, you know.She was just cruel and hard.Cold, heartless, like a beautiful serpent."I shivered at the thought of her.

As it grew dark, the train began to slow.Finally we stopped at a tiny platform.All the passengers piled out.A giant of a man was calling for first years, who pushed their way over to him.

A woman came over to us.She wore tartan robes and her hair was pulled into a severe bun.

"Professor McGonagall!" Harry said in surprise.She frowned at him.

"Hello," she said."You two must be James and Lily?"We nodded."You're to come with me."She led us to a waiting carriage, which bumped along toward the school.I tried to see out, but it was too dark.

"Dumbledore wants to see the two of you before the feast," she explained as we got out and she led us up the steps, down corridors, and through a passage behind a gargoyle.We emerged in what was obviously Dumbledore's office.A phoenix was snoozing in a corner, and I stared at it.Dumbledore smiled at us.Another professor was there already; I thought that I'd seen him before, the night when my mother was arrested.He was scowling.

"Wait, Minerva," Dumbledore said as she turned to go."You might as well stay."He produced an old hat from behind his desk."This is the Sorting Hat," he explained."New students try it on, but as you two are older than the first years, we thought it would be less confusing just to have you try it on here."He smiled at us."Don't worry, it doesn't hurt."He held it out to James, who took it uncertainly.

"What do I do?" he asked.

"Put it on, of course," the other professor said coldly.

"Now, Severus, how could he be expected to guess what to do?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly, his eyes twinkling.James put it on his head.For a moment, nothing happened, then it yelled 'Gryffindor!'.Dumbledore's smile got a bit wider, if possible.James handed me the hat.I put it on nervously._What if it puts me in a different House? _I thought as it slipped over my head.

"Now then, don't worry," the Hat soothed."You've been through a lot recently, haven't you?Well, don't worry, I'll put you in the right place.Certainly not Slytherin!And not Hufflepuff. You're brave, loyal, intelligent.... Just like your parents, actually, and your brother.Well, I'd say Gryffindor."I took the hat off and handed it back to the Headmaster.James grinned at me.

"Now, Minerva, if you'll take them down to join the rest of their House," Dumbledore said mildly."I think that you'd best take the Hat, Severus.The Ceremony should start soon."We followed McGonagall through a maze of corridors into the Great Hall.Nothing I'd heard about it prepared me for the awesome sight.The ceiling shone with stars, reflecting the night glory outside.I stared at it as we headed for the Gryffindor table.The Weasleys waved merrily to us and Harry pointed us to a few empty seats near him and his friends.

"Put you in Gryffindor, eh?" George - I think it was George -said."Well, good for you.Best House there is, always has been."Then the Sorting Ceremony began and we watched as other students were put into Houses.I was glad that I hadn't had to sit up there in front of the whole school.

"Who's that?" I asked Ron at one point, pointing to the dark-haired teacher who'd been in Dumbledore's office.

"Snape," Ron muttered. "Watch out for him.He hates all Gryffindors, but Harry more than most -and he's sure to hate you if he knows you're Sirius' kids."

"He doesn't look very happy," I commented.

"Never does.He teaches Potions."

"Great.Mum wasn't so good at those, so we didn't learn as much as we might have," James muttered.

"Just try to avoid him," Harry advised us."It's not that easy, but you might manage."

It was a very good thing that Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys were our friends, because over the next few days, it became obvious that most of the students there were not going to make life easy for us.Whispers followed us in the halls, people stared at us at dinner, and not a few children refused to acknowledge our existence.James and I spent every evening doing our homework and then writing to Mum.We didn't know if she was getting our letters, and we certainly didn't get any from her, but we wrote page after page each night, heads together, leaning over a desk.

About three weeks into term, we were outside, because it was a pleasant evening, writing our daily missive. A group of Hufflepuffs came by.They were all sixth and seventh year boys.They stopped by us.

"So, writing to your jailbird mother?Or are you spying for You-Know-Who too?" the leader sneered.James glared at him but didn't say anything."I'm amazed Dumbledore let you come here.You'd think they'd want to keep Dark wizards out."

"We aren't Dark wizards," James said quietly, putting down the quill.

"And neither's your mum or dad," another boy sneered.

"No, they aren't!" I yelled."They aren't Dark wizards."

"Kid, your dad was convicted years ago, everyone knows that.He went crazy!People saw him blow up a whole street." Yet a third boy was talking now."So don't try telling us that he's innocent."

"Leave my sister alone!" James yelled, jumping to his feet.

"Or what?You'll curse us?"The boys laughed at their own joke.

"No, we will," a voice said from behind us.We turned to see Fred and George Weasley standing there, wands in hand."Leave these kids alone."The Hufflepuffs outnumbered us, but they were cowards and wouldn't pick a fight when they might get hurt.So they slunk off, tails between their legs.

"Let us know if anyone tries that again," George said.

"Yes, we'll play a few tricks on them," Fred added.

"Thank you," I said gratefully.Fred laughed and whacked George on the shoulder.

"Oh, we owe your dad and his friends!Without them, we'd never have been the successes we are today."

"Anyway, I'm glad you believe us," James said.

"Course we do.It's got to be better for you than it was for Harry a few years back, though, when everyone thought he was the Heir of Slytherin."George grinned."Remember that?"

"Yup, sure do," his twin agreed. "We could always try that kind of thing again... Make way for the Heir of Slytherin! Seriously evil wizard coming through!"

"Honestly, some people here can be idiots," George said, sitting down on the grass."You'd think they could see you two are no more Dark wizards than Albus Dumbledore is, but no..."

"Do you two have any idea how your dad and his friends managed to become Animagi?" Fred asked.

"No," I said."Why?"

"Well, ole George and I were just thinking about the possibilities...."

"I'm sure Dumbledore would find out," James said."One time, it might get past him, but not twice."

"You're probably right," Fred admitted."Anyway, if you ever need help -ever -come to us.No matter what it is."

"If you need the Slytherin common room blown up-"

"- Dungbombs for Filch-"

"-Need to find a secret corridor-"

"-We're the ones."

"Thanks," James said."We'll remember that."

"Good." The twins spoke together. They grinned at us and walked off.

"If you'd be willing to give us evidence and information, we could make sure that you get a light sentence," the Ministry representative offered.Jenny sat upright in a chair.

"You really don't listen, do you?I can't give you information, because I don't have any.I never worked for Voldemort."

"What about this letter?" he asked, holding up a copy.

"I told you before.That was part of a ruse to get us into the castle where my children were being held.We got in, took the children, and got out."

"You were with Sirius Black."

"Yes, I was.He's my husband, and he's innocent too."She folded her arms and stared coldly at the man.He sighed.

"I really wish you'd be more cooperative, Mrs. Black."

"I'm being as cooperative as I bloody can be!" she yelled."What part of 'I'm not working for Voldemort' do you not get?You know Pettigrew's alive, which matches our story; if you took the time, you could figure out that the rest is true too.Or do you just want to put people in Azkaban?Do you get a commission on it?A bonus for every conviction?"She scowled at him.

"I'm sure you know your words are ridiculous.Now, if your husband is innocent, as you claim, why didn't you speak out thirteen years ago?"

"Because I didn't know he was innocent until this spring."She spoke slowly, as she might speak to a mentally retarded child."I've told you this twice.I've told others here at least a dozen times.Why don't you do something else?"

The agent sighed and stood up.

"I'm sorry this session hasn't been more productive," he said, motioning her to stand."You might want to think things over..." A knock came on the door.The man went over and spoke to whoever was outside.Jenny couldn't make out any of the words, but the agent drew aside and let a woman into the room.

She was a rather attractive woman, although plainly dressed, and she seemed to be about Jenny's age.

"Alone," she said to the agent, who nodded and left.The woman looked at Jenny.Jenny looked at the woman.

"Well, Mrs. Black, I suppose you're wondering who I am," she said finally."That's to be expected."I'm Gillian Prewett."Jenny recognized the last name; the Prewetts had been some of Voldemort's first victims when he began his rise to power all those years ago.

"If you don't mind me asking, exactly why are you here?"Jenny was curious.Gillian smiled.

"Albus Dumbledore contacted me and asked me to help you out."

"Are you a lawyer?"

"Not precisely, although I do have legal training and am qualified to act as a lawyer in court.No, I'm more of - of a last resort."She smiled again, cheerfully, and set her briefcase on the one desk."It's my job to do the impossible and prove people who seem guilty beyond a shadow of doubt innocent."

"An interesting job," Jenny commented."Much success?"

"Frankly, not as much as I'd like.But there's one thing I never do, and that's take on a client who _I_ think is guilty.I've studied your case since Dumbledore talked to me, and I think that you and your husband and friend are innocent." She smiled."Now we have to convince the Ministry."

"That will be difficult," Jenny said, but a spark of hope had been lit in her breast.

"Difficult's my job, and impossible's my hobby," Gillian said cheerfully."But impossible I charge more for."Jenny laughed for the first time in - what? Days? Weeks?She couldn't remember.

"Well, if you're convinced, I don't think the task is impossible," Jenny said.

"Ah, smart woman, bargaining for savings already."Gillian grinned and opened her briefcase.

'Trust me, if you can get my husband - and Remus and me - off, you'd be welcome to whatever you charge," Jenny said fervently."I don't think anything would be too much to pay to have Sirius free."

"You really love him, then?" Gillian asked.A wistful note was in her voice.

"I do," Jenny said, staring into space."And my children need their father."

"And their mother, no doubt," Gillian said."So let's get started."She pulled out a letter and handed it to Jenny."My credentials, just in case you got paranoid and wondered whether I might be working for the Ministry." It was a letter from Albus Dumbledore, telling Jenny that Gillian was who she claimed to be.

"I believed you, anyway," Jenny said, handing back the note."I can often tell when someone's lying, and I think you are trustworthy."

"Why, thank you," Gillian said."Now, I'll need to interview you and Lupin - but it's full moon now and I can't talk to him."

"I'd lost track of time," Jenny commented."Not much happens here."

"The first thing we're going to do is try to get you out of jail," Gillian said."I don't suppose you know where your husband is?"

"No," Jenny said.

"It might make my job easier if I could talk to him, but no matter."

"I'm just glad he hasn't been caught yet," Jenny said. " He's got that sentence over his head... they could very well give him the Dementor's Kiss..."

"That's the second thing we're going to work on," Gillian said."I'm not sure that they have the legal position they think they have.The Kiss is a very serious punishment and it hasn't actually been used in over a century."

"Not legally," Jenny said, her face going very white and her voice breaking.

"No," Gillian said, looking vaguely puzzled."Anyway, I think we can get that lifted... or at least petition for a different form of punishment."

"Anything else," Jenny said."Sirius would prefer death to the Kiss, just as I would."She bit her lip.

"Then we're going to find evidence and prove that you three are innocent," Gillian concluded."As I see it, proving that you and Remus aren't guilty will be the easiest part.Even if we prove that Sirius isn't working for Voldemort, there's still no evidence that he didn't kill those Muggles."Jenny stared at Gillian, who had just said 'Voldemort' without flinching.The woman went up several notches in her appreciation.

"I'm not sure I follow your logic," she admitted.

"Well, it would be possible to make out a case that Sirius was attempting to take revenge on Pettigrew for the Potters' deaths, and that he went a little overboard," Gillian said carefully."Unless his past behavior showed that such a thing was highly unlikely, it might be difficult to prove he didn't do it.Without Pettigrew, that is."

"His past record wouldn't do much for him," Jenny admitted, thinking how Sirius had nearly been responsible for Snape's death at the age of 16.

"So we'll burn that bridge when we get there," Gillian said cheerfully."Have you been able to talk to your children or any friends?"

"No," Jenny said."I don't have any other friends than Remus, and Fudge won't even let me write to James and Lily.I get their letters, though."

"Well, I'll see what I can do.... It's illegal to keep you incommunicado like that."

"I hope they're not to worried about me," Jenny said softly, thinking about the last time she'd seen her children.

"It could take a few days to get Fudge to see light," Gillian said, "so if you like, I can write to them for you."

"Would you?" Jenny looked into the other woman's face."You don't know how much it would mean to me."

"What should I say?"

"Tell them I love them, and that I've gotten all their letters, and that I'm very proud of them.Let them know that we're going to find a way out of this mess, and that I'm sure their father will be proud when he hears they're both in Gryffindor.And tell them to be good but have fun."Jenny smiled."And promise them that I'll see them soon."

"You will," Gillian promised, taking Jenny's hand."I'll see to that."

"Thank you," Jenny said, looking right into the other woman's green eyes._Green eyes,_ she thought, distracted._Green like Lily's.But she has short brown hair, not long red hair, and she's pretty, but not gorgeous._ She shook herself out of her musings."Thank you for everything."

"That's my job," Gillian said, but she smiled. " And it's nice to help people like you."

"There wouldn't be so many problems with life if more people were like you and fewer like Pettigrew, or Voldemort," Jenny remarked.

"I know."Gillian's face went blank for a moment."I was very young, only twelve, when he killed my family."There was no need for Jenny to ask who _he_ was.

"I was sixteen, myself," Jenny said quietly."If it hadn't been for my friends, I'd have just let myself die.If it hadn't been for Sirius, I'd have died with my parents."

"Do you ever wish you had?" Gillian asked, not looking at Jenny.

"I did, often," she said."But after I married Sirius... and then, when he was gone, I had the twins.They made life worth living."

"You have to fill the space somehow," Gillian remarked."I dedicated my life to helping people."

"Do you ever do anything for yourself?" Jenny asked.Gillian didn't answer, but closed her briefcase slowly.

"I'd best get started on those things we talked about," she said."Don't talk to anyone without me with you, all right?"

"Okay," Jenny agreed.

"I'll come back tomorrow," Gillian promised, and left.A Hit Wizard came in and led Jenny back to her cell.Somehow it didn't seem quite as constricting now.

Warning: I'm not too sure when the next part will be out, because of semester break.... Not too long, I hope, though.And then we'll be getting near the end - I hope, although I had originally planned that the last piece would be the end.... Unfortunately, things just didn't work that way.Also, the Magical Mischief Makers series has to be worked on, to answer the questions that have hopefully been raised in your minds.If it makes you feel better, I'm not really sure what's going to happen with this story, either.There's about ten possible endings right now - Jenny has told me I may not kill her, or Sirius, or Remus, or the children, and I'll probably listen to her - but I'm not sure how happy an ending I'll write.It depends on my mood...if I feel sappy or sadistic, you know.Of course, if you have a suggestion, I'd be glad to hear it!

I've looked at my schedule and I think I can guarantee you a part by 18 May.It'll probably be Magical Mischief Makers, as I plan to work on that and the transitional story over my break.The transitional story is tentatively titled 'Only in Darkness the Light' and will be at least three chapters long.The title is a quote, by the way, from a poem, but all will be explained at the proper time.

If you think you can't make it through my vacation, you need professional help. But siriusly, I'd recommend catching up on some of the other authors here, if you've missed them.Shameless plug follows: Blaise, CLS, and Moon write incredible stories about MWPP. Peeves is Peeved has a long but good story about Harry's seventh year - worth reading just for the author's notes!Morrigan writes great stories that freak me out on occasion. Spamwarrior and Elizabeth Notrab and ChinChilla all have immensely funny stuff - check out the Insanity of Hogwarts, the Mountain Dew stories - I can't remember their right names - and the Gringotts Cash Machine saga. Also, check out all the Alternity stuff! And there are lots of others who I can't mention because this note is too long as it is, but who are definitely worth reading. And if you get really desperate, how about a nice book?

**Ingredients:J. K. Rowling, Bloomsbury and Scholastic characters and settings, some original characters (James and Lily Black, Elaida Malfoy, Gillian Prewett, Jenny Black), original plot (may contain trace elements of various stories the author has read), chocolate, caffeine, sleepless nights, an insane authoress tormented by an alter ego named Jenny Black and a muse named Sadistica the Muse of Pain, and a pinch of beta-reader. **(*gryn*)

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**Best if read by July 8, 2000.Not guaranteed edible after that date. (Actually, not guaranteed edible at all.)**

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**All comments and complaints can go in the little box below. That's what it's for.**

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**This is the longest author's note I've ever written.Can you tell?**

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	9. Overturn the Board

At long last, more Double Trouble!If you were hoping for more with the twins, well, there's some, but not a lot.We're almost to the end of this story, as well.Read on!And thanks to Blaise and Peeves is Peeved both for making good suggestions and writing very distracting stories.Shouldn't have taken me this long, but I got delayed by the crossover Blaise and I are writing (that's an advertisement – if you haven't read it, it's under my name).Go ahead and read now.

Remus looked up as the door to his cell opened.He expected to see a guard or perhaps a Ministry official, but the woman in his cell was no guard, and she wore bright robes quite different from those the Ministry used.She was a rather attractive woman, probably his own age or a bit younger, with brown hair and green eyes.She smiled at him.

"Mr. Lupin, I'm Gillian Prewett.Professor Dumbledore asked me to help you.I've already talked with Jenny Black, a few days ago, and have gotten started on your case."

Remus smiled back.

"Please, call me Remus," he said quietly.He leaned back his head, which still hurt from the transformation that had taken place this morning.She looked at him, sympathy in her eyes.

"Then you must call me Gillian."

"All right, Gillian," he agreed. " So, what sort of help are you providing?"

"I'm going to prove that you are not working for Voldemort," she said simply."And then I'm going to prove that Sirius Black didn't kill those Muggles, or betray your friends."

"Rather ambitious," Remus said."That's no easy task."

"If it were easy, you wouldn't need me," she said, winking at him."I will admit, though, the prospects are not that bright…"

"Of course they aren't," he agreed bitterly."Who'd believe a werewolf and a convict, over someone nice and respectable like Snape?"

"I would," she said quietly, looking right at him.He didn't answer."I think we can convince the Ministry, too."

"How?" Remus asked."The evidence is pretty damning.That letter, the way Sirius has acted… everyone will think that we're guilty.I'd think we were guilty!"

"But you aren't.So stop being pessimistic and let's get to work."She opened her briefcase and pulled out some papers."I'm trying to get you and Jenny released until the trial, right now – it's actually going well.I think you'll be out of here this time tomorrow."

"That would be nice," Remus said, glancing around the cell."I'm starting to get claustrophobia."He shared a slight smile with Gillian.

"I'm collecting evidence, too.I've got your story, and Jenny's, down on paper here.Read over it, please, and tell my if they got everything down right."Gillian handed Remus a sheaf of paper, and he flipped through it.

"Yes, this is right," he said.

"I didn't really think they'd mess up what you'd said, but it's always best to check," she replied, taking the papers back."They've not been half as hard on you as on Jenny, by the way."

"What's been happening to her?" Remus looked up sharply.

"They've questioned her a dozen times.They keep asking the same questions, and I think Jenny may explode if they keep it up much longer.She's very frustrated, I can tell."

"Yes, I think she would get irritated," Remus agreed."They –er, haven't been able to question me for the past few days, of course."

"Of course," she said, still smiling a little."But it's not right, the way they're treating you and Jenny.After all, you are innocent until proven guilty."

"Legally, yes.But everyone believes we're guilty."

"But you haven't been proven guilty, and you won't be, because I'm here now."She put away another sheaf of papers, then looked Remus right in the eye."I've had a lot of cases before.I've seen a lot of people who needed my help.But I've never been so determined to win a case before, never wanted so much to make everything right."Her words came out jerkily, as if they were being pulled from her against her will.Remus looked at her for a moment, then asked slowly,

"Why?"

"Because," she hesitated, turning away from his gaze, "because –well, for one thing, I feel for you and your friends.You've all had a pretty tough time, haven't you?And I like you, all of you.I've spent a lot of time over the past week or so, studying your past, watching Jenny in particular, talking to people who've known you.Most of my adult life, I've been around, well, criminals.People who you can't really get to like, because they're not decent human beings.But you are different."She blushed."I'm sorry, I know that sounds absolutely ridiculous."

"No, it doesn't," Remus said, looking her in the eye."Although I think a lot of people would wonder at you calling me and Jenny and Sirius 'decent human beings'."They both laughed briefly.

"I – I do hope that someone manages to capture Pettigrew," Gillian said. " Firstly, it'll make my job a lot easier.But I don't think anyone who works for Voldemort should be allowed to walk around in the sun."She frowned briefly, as at a stray memory.

"Voldemort killed your family, didn't he?" Remus asked gently."I know your name, I recognized it…"

"Yes, he did," she said softly. " I was only twelve. I had a mother, father, three older brothers, a little sister. My aunt and uncle and cousins died at the same time… I was the only one to survive, because I wasn't there.Voldemort killed them all.He killed everyone who stood in his way until little Harry Potter stopped him, somehow." She looked at Remus, noted the pain in his eye."I'm sorry, I'd forgotten for a minute that your friends died that night, before Voldemort was stopped."

"We've both lost loved ones to that monster," Remus said softly."I'd just like to make sure that he doesn't kill anyone else."

""I'd better be going," she said, rising from her seat."I've got a lot of work to do… but I'll be back soon to let you know how things are going."

"Thank you," he said.She knocked at the door; it swung open, allowing her out, and Remus heard the key turn in the lock.He grimaced sourly, running a hand through his hair.No matter what Gillian said, he didn't think they'd get out of this situation.It was just too bleak._Not that that's an excuse to give up, of course.Even if it is futile, I still can't just give in.That would mean Voldemort had won._

Jenny sat against the wall of her cell, knees drawn up to her chest.She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.It had been hours since she had seen anyone, and that had only been a guard, bringing her a meal and a letter from her children.She smiled at the memory of the letter.James and Lily seemed to be having a good time at Hogwarts.Jenny let her mind wander over her own years at Hogwarts, her friends and classes.Some trains of thought were too painful, and she pulled back from them, but she recalled with pleasure the Quidditch matches and Hogsmeade trips that had occurred in her seven years' there, the good times she had had with her friends, the pranks that Sirius and Remus and James had pulled...

Her head swung up as the door opened.Gillian Prewett stood in the door of her cell, briefcase in hand.She smiled at Jenny.

"I've managed to get you and Remus released on bail," she said, giving Jenny a hand up."You can come with me.We'll get Remus, then go somewhere where we can talk."

"Thank you," Jenny said. "How did you manage that?"

"I'll explain everything soon.Why don't you come with me?"

"Of course."Jenny stretched her weary limbs and followed Gillian through passages.They stopped outside another door, and Gillian motioned to the guard to open it.

Remus was pacing his cell.He smiled broadly as he saw Jenny and Gillian.

"Can we go, then?" he asked.

"Yes," Gillian answered.Remus followed the women out.Gillian led the way out of the Ministry building, and Jenny and Remus blinked in the bright sun.Jenny took a deep breath of fresh air and looked at the sky.

"It seems forever since I've seen the sun," she commented."Where are we going?"

"Part of the condition of your bail was that you did not leave Diagon Alley," Gillian explained."I've taken rooms for you at the Leaky Cauldron."

"I think I need a change of clothes," Jenny commented ruefully, looking at hers."And a good bath."

"Both can be provided," Gillian said, smiling."All part of my job."

"Look, I didn't ask this before, but how much are you charging for what you do?" Remus looked at Gillian."Don't think I'm ungrateful or anything, but I don't know if I can really afford all this."

"Remus, don't worry about that at all," Jenny cut in, glancing sideways at Remus."We have –Sirius has, that is – the money."

"I never charge more than my clients can afford, anyway," Gillian said."Don't worry about that until after we get you off."

"What about Sirius?" Jenny asked anxiously."Has anyone heard anything from him? Is he all right?"

"Nothing's been heard from or about him," Gillian said."That's definitely good news at this point."They entered the Leaky Cauldron together, and Gillian took them to a private parlor."Already arranged everything, as you can see," she said cheerfully."Now, no more talking until you two have something to eat." They complied willingly, and Jenny found herself eating far more than she usually did.Remus glanced at her.

"Hungry, are you?They didn't exactly give me gourmet food, but they didn't starve me either."

"I haven't been eating much recently," she explained."I've been feeling a bit off.And so tired." 

"Worried, I suppose," Gillian said.

"Yes, very.Not about me, just about Sirius and the children."Jenny sighed and pushed back her plate."You said you were trying to make sure that he – he won't be given the Kiss if they do catch him."

"I am."Gillian looked at Jenny."I don't think they will, now, at least not until after a trial.You also have indicated that any other punishment would be preferable?"

"Anything."Jenny's face grew very white."I know I speak for Sirius when I say that death would be preferable."Remus stared at Jenny for a moment, then turned to Gillian.

"Excuse me for just a moment."He pulled Jenny over to a corner of the room and spoke in a whisper.

"Jenny – if Sirius dies, you'll die too!"

"I know," she said quietly. "But it's better than the Kiss, for both of us.How do I know what would happen to me if that happened to him?It's not in any of the books on Life-bonds.I checked, after Sirius escaped.Apparently it's never happened."

"Not surprising… but Jenny, what will happen to your children?"Remus looked hard at her.She dropped her eyes.

"I don't know," she said slowly."I hope it doesn't come to that, of course… I know that Dumbledore would do what he could, and of course if you get off you'll care for them… but I owe Sirius that much."She smiled bitterly."He gave me his life, years ago.Now I might have to give him mine."She returned to the table, Remus following her, shaking his head.

"All right?" Gillian asked. Jenny nodded.

"You'd just best get us all off," Remus said tiredly.

"I plan to."Gillian flashed him a quick smile."I'll let you two go now- I'm sure you can use a good night's sleep.I'll be back tomorrow, bright and early, though."

"Am I allowed to write to my children now?" Jenny asked hopefully.Gillian smiled more broadly.

"Yes, you are.I managed to squeeze that out of Fudge… actually, I think the way they've treated you two may work in our favor if comes to a trial."

"If?" Remus asked sharply.

"Well, there are several possibilities…. One is that something turns up, like Pettigrew, and the charges against you are dismissed.Another is –well, they don't try dead people."Jenny shivered."I'm not saying anyone's going to try to kill you –they'd have a job trying, I think – but there are always accidents, and there are plenty of people who'd like you out of the way – on our side and Voldemort's."She looked at them."So be careful."

"We're not the ones you should tell that," Jenny commented."We are careful.It's Sirius who isn't."

"Well, as I told you, he seems to be being cautious now."Gillian stood."Why don't you two go now?"Jenny and Remus stood as well.

_It's so nice to be free again, Jenny thought.__And to be really clean.She'd had a long, hot bath and was feeling much better.Now she sat down at the table in her room and picked up a quill.For a moment she thought, and then began to write._

_Dear James and Lily, I'm glad to hear from your letters that you are fine and having fun.I am fine as well.Remus and I have been released on bond, and I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron._

She stopped and considered what to write next. 

_I am so pleased that both of you are in Gryffindor, and your father will be too when he learns of it.Don't worry about me; Professor Dumbledore sent someone to help and I'm sure everything will be straightened out soon, for all of us._

_If anyone gives you a hard time about your parents being criminals, just remember that we are innocent and ignore them.I'm very glad to hear that you've made some friends, and that they know the truth.Do try to stay out of Professor Snape's way, though; I doubt he's going to like you._

_I love you both very much and hope to see you soon._

Again, Jenny paused.She knew very well that she might not see the twins again.What could she say, though?Finally, she just decided to sign the letter and be done. She was very tired._I'll try to write more tomorrow, she promised herself._

The next morning, she and Remus ate down in the bar.They got quite a few stares from people who had evidently recognized them from newspaper photographs.Remus seemed to be able to ignore the staring eyes, but Jenny shivered every time she noticed someone watching her closely.

At half-past nine, Gillian Prewett walked into the bar and up to the table where Jenny and Remus were sitting.

"You must rise early, or live nearby," Remus commented, taking in her immaculate appearance.

"Both," she said, smiling."No trouble, I trust?"

"None," Remus confirmed.

"Good.Now, we're going to go and sit down and talk about all these papers I have here."Gillian patted her briefcase, and the other two rose to comply.

"These papers represent most of the evidence against you," Gillian said."Of course, these are only copies."She pulled a sheaf of papers out."Now, the most damming evidence is the letter, of course.Everything else could be discredited fairly easily."

"Why won't people believe the truth?" Jenny wondered.

"Well, it really isn't a very convincing story," Remus said.He stretched and yawned."I don't know if I'd believe it myself."

"There must be some way," Jenny began, almost to herself.

"There may be."Gillian had the air of someone about to pull a rabbit from a hat."I'm in contact with someone who might be able to get us evidence that you are not on Voldemort's side."

"Really?Who?"Jenny leaned forward, excited.

"We'll call this person 'Agent Z'," Gillian said."I can't reveal anything much – not the person's name or where Z is, but Z plays the same role as Pettigrew did, but in reverse.Z may be able to get documents that show that you are innocent."

"Does Z expect any payment?" Remus asked, leaning forward as well.

"Of course," Gillian said, smiling a bit and shrugging.

"What does Z want?" Jenny asked, seeing that Gillian wasn't really volunteering much information. 

"Z wants out, having worked the role for long enough –several years, in fact, ever since it began to seem that Voldemort might not really be gone.So this person is going to need help – mostly money.It's a risky task, getting this information, and our side doesn't pay that well in money."She smiled and smoothed her hair down. "A thousand Galleons."

"A thousand?" Remus looked incredulous. "That -that's-"

"We'll get it, somehow," Jenny promised."I don't care how, don't care what we have to do –if Z can get evidence proving that all of us –including Sirius- are innocent, I'll get it somehow."

"I thought you'd say that."Gillian grinned. "I'll tell Z tonight, I hope."Jenny smiled widely, too.

"I feel very confident now," Gillian said, standing up."Do you need anything else from me?If not, I want to get going."Jenny and Remus shook their heads, and Gillian left the room.

Gillian sighed as she left the Leaky Cauldron.She liked Jenny and Remus both.It was a pity she had to lie to them like this… but they could be her key out of a bad situation.And she couldn't tell them the truth; she knew that.Not if she valued her life.Which she did.

James and I were eating breakfast in the Great Hall about four weeks into term.The owls flocked in as was their custom.By now we had grown used to the sight, and as they never brought us any mail, didn't much care about them.But today a large barn owl swooped and dropped a letter on James' head.I pulled it off.

"It's from Mum!" I exclaimed. James and I glanced at each other and left the room, abandoning our breakfast to see what our mother had said. We hurried up the stairs, down a corridor and into an empty classroom.James shut the door as I ripped the letter open and read it aloud.

"It's about time they let her out," James said, standing and reading over my shoulder."I wonder where Dad is."

"Well, he's got to be all right," I said, folding up the letter carefully."We'd know if the Ministry had caught him, after all."I started for the door."I'm going to put this up in my room so it's safe."Somehow it made me feel much better to have something tangible from my mother.James nodded.

"Shall I get your books from the Hall?" he asked.

"Oh, thanks.Yes."I was about to open the door when it was opened from the other side.I shrank back as Professor Snape's angry countenance came into view.We'd managed to avoid him, mostly, and he'd ignored us in class, but now his cold eyes flashed our way.James came up behind me; I noticed that his fists were clenched.

"So," Snape said coldly and slowly."You received a letter from your mother."His lip curled.I gulped and didn't say anything.

"Yes, we did," James said boldly, stepping forward."Why shouldn't we?"

"Most people would be ashamed to have criminal parents," Snape sneered."No doubt you don't see why that should be."

"My mother is not a criminal, and my father isn't either!" I didn't realize that I'd said it until I found myself shaking a fist in Snape's face.His eyes narrowed, and before I realize what was happening, he'd seized Mum's letter from my hand."That's mine!" I shrieked, trying to reach it, but he held it out of my reach and pulled it open.James' face had gone dark with rage, and I felt totally helpless.A moment later, Snape had finished the letter and let it drop.James grabbed it before it fell to the ground.

"I always knew that your parents and their friends would come to bad ends," he hissed softly.Fear washed over me; I felt that he was now more dangerous than if he had been screaming.I was petrified, rooted to the spot by his basilisk gaze."Working for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, in jail…"He stared at us."I'd be careful if I were you.Otherwise, you could end up just like them."

"I hope I do turn out like my father," James said bravely, glaring back at Snape."And he's not working for Voldemort!"

Snape's face darkened, and he opened his mouth to reply, but just then the door banged open, right into Snape's backside.He turned around and seized both Weasley twins by the arms.

"Sorry, sir," Fred said."Didn't know that anyone was in here."He tried not to grin, and almost succeeded; his brother failed.

"Detention," Snape hissed."Detention for all four of you."He glared around at us, a bit wildly, I thought, released the Weasleys, and left.

"What was that all about?" George asked."If I've got detention, I ought to at least know why."

"We got a letter from our mum," I said."He didn't seem happy about it."James handed me the letter, now sadly rumpled.I smoothed it as best I could.

"Well, I'd love to know what could get him that upset, but I'm afraid we're all late for class already."Fred glanced at his watch."Not that that's a problem, usually, but since I've got one detention already today, I think I'll try to avoid another."

"Right," James said."Coming, Lily?"

"Yeah."I folded the letter and held it carefully as my brother and I hurried off to get our bags.

"But, I say, Severus, we've had no sign of Black these past few weeks."Fudge was almost trotting beside Snape, trying to keep up with the other's long strides.The Minister was totally unaware of how ridiculous he looked, but no one else was.Ministry workers half-grinned as the pair passed; a few shook their heads sadly, wondering how such a bumbler had become Minister.Snape glared at him, despising the little man for his stupidity.

"You know as well as –better – than I do how He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is gaining strength," Snape said coldly."I'm sure he'll be making an attempt to regain power soon.And I think we both would prefer that Black is not helping him when he does so."

Cornelius Fudge shivered. "No indeed.Such a shame that Black isn't on our side; he is a powerful wizard.But we haven't a lead on where he might be."

"No we have not.But we have his wife, and his children."Snape smiled coldly and wondered what Fudge would make of that.Was he as big an idiot as he seemed, or might he see the wisdom in the idea?Black had to be recaptured.Snape wanted that more than anything else, to see his old nemesis get what he so richly deserved…

Fudge halted."But, Severus, what are you suggesting?"So Fudge was an idiot.Or a coward.

"I'm sure you know what I'm saying."Snape turned and glared at Fudge.He couldn't be _that_ thick."We have to capture Black before he kills anyone else.We have levers to use against him, and we're not.You're not, that is.If Black does kill anyone else, it'll be your fault, Cornelius.Your fault."Perhaps that would make the idiot realize how important this whole business was.

"But- Severus- we can't threaten – I mean, his children are just children, they're not Dark wizards…"

"His wife is, though.If her life was threatened…." Not that he cared what happened to those children.Not Black's children.And his wife deserved no pity, no pity at all.No doubt she was just as involved in Dark circles as her husband.

"We can't do that!"Fudge looked horrified."She's not been found guilty – she's not even had a trial!"

"So give her a trial," Snape spat angrily.He glared at Fudge in rage and contempt."There's no doubt that she's guilty.I'm sure you can have her sentenced to death rather than Azkaban… after all, treason is a capital crime."

"But- but-"

"Cornelius, think about it."Snape softened his glare.He'd used the stick; now time for the carrot."You are responsible for protecting the innocent, not the guilty."

"I – I suppose," Fudge said slowly."And of course, I could change her sentence to something lighter after we have Black…"

"That's right," Snape said silkily.Perhaps Fudge was finally catching on."You could."He smiled crookedly."And when it's known what you did to protect people, your re-election will be certain."

"Yes, I think that was an excellent idea."Fudge brightened."I think I'll ask Dumbledore's advice."He turned.

"No!" Snape seized the back of Fudge's robes and whirled him about.He had to prevent Dumbledore – he was no doubt cracked – would interfere for sure."I already told you that I believe that he thinks Black may be innocent.Dumbledore's old, Fudge.He's not the man he once was, and we can't ask him to make crucial decisions like this one.He'll balk.This is something you have to do without his help."

Fudge looked absolutely terrified; whether from Snape's words or the fact that Snape was holding him by the collar was hard to tell.He opened his mouth; a small noise escaped it.Finally, he closed his mouth and nodded.Snape relaxed and let go.

"Good.I'd suggest you get working on it immediately."He turned and walked off, black robes swirling about him.Glancing back once, he saw Fudge, walking slowly back to his office._Let's just hope he doesn't mess things up too badly. Perhaps I should take a hand?_

Jenny and Remus was eating dinner together in the Leaky Cauldron when a half-dozen Hit Wizards entered the room.They both looked up.The leader of the squad stopped beside their table.

"You'll have to come with us," he said to Jenny.Jenny glanced nervously at Remus.

"Why?" she asked.

"Order of the Minister."He stood straight and didn't offer anything else.

"I thought I was to be allowed to stay here until trial," she said.Her heart was pulsing with fear.Remus stood.

"May I accompany you as well?" he asked.

"There's nothing in our orders concerning you," the guard said brusquely.

"Then it doesn't say I can't."Remus gave Jenny a hand up.She tried to smile at him, but the expression fell flat.

They walked through the darkening Diagon Alley to Ministry headquarters, up the stairs, and into a room empty but for a high table at one end.A few men sat in chairs along one side of the table.The lead Hit Wizard motioned for Jenny to step forward.Remus tried to follow, but was prevented and forced to stand near the back of the room.

The man in the middle of the table was Cornelius Fudge.He looked decidedly uncomfortable.Most of the other men Jenny did not recognize, but one she knew.

"Lucius Malfoy," she said coldly. "I saw your sister not long ago and was rather surprised not to see you as well."

"I have not seen my sister in many years," Lucius said coldly."Not since after the defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Really."Jenny didn't believe him at all."I do remember you came crawling back to our side; I suppose she did not."

"I am not the one on trial here," Malfoy said smoothly."You are.And at least I was on the other side only because of enchantments."He stared at her."Unlike you and your husband."

Jenny wanted to retort angrily to his words, but Fudge motioned for silence.The impact of Malfoy's words hit her.

"Am I on trial, then?" she asked."I think these proceedings are not legal.If I am on trial, I should have a lawyer."She glared at Fudge.

"We are following old customs for trying traitors," Fudge said.He did not meet her eyes.

"Old, and, I am sure, not used in the past three hundred years."

"We have examined the facts already," Fudge said."And we are unanimously agreed that you are guilty of treason."He still didn't look at her.

Jenny stared, mouth open, arms spread wide."What kind of a trial is this?" she asked incredulously."You decide I'm guilty before you even hear from me?Did you listen to anyone supporting me?This is a sham!"

"Nevertheless, it is legal.We have found you guilty," Fudge repeated.Jenny's heart seemed to turn to ice in her breast.Her hands dropped to her sides and curled into fists.

"Then what is my sentence?" she asked softly, not daring to look at their faces.It was Malfoy who answered her, in a soft, cold, drawling word.

"Death."

The word reverberated through the room, somehow._Death.Remus, watching from the rear, could not see Jenny's face, but her head came up and she stood unbowed.Nor did she fight when guards came to lead her to a cell.But when she passed, Remus could see that her face had gone white and expressionless._

_Death.Remus could not fully accept that yet, could not accept that, with a single word, the lives of his last two friends had been thrown away.Something inside him wanted to scream at the 'judges', the men who had overseen this sham trial and committed this deed.But he could not, could not say anything or do anything as the men filed out of the room.Finally, though, he turned and walked without true aim, back toward the Leaky Cauldron._

It was evening now, evening of the day after Jenny had been sentenced, the day before she was to be executed._They certainly waste no time, Remus thought bitterly as he sipped his drink, his finger tracing patterns in the wood of the table.He'd tried to see Jenny today, but she was not permitted visitors.Remus was surprised that he had not yet been hauled up and sentenced to death as well.The Daily Prophet had screamed out the news, of course.No doubt every wizard in England knew that Sirius Black's wife was to be executed for treason. __The children! Remus thought suddenly.He'd forgotten them completely.What would they be thinking?No doubt they'd heard the news.How terrible for them…._

Remus was interrupted in his thoughts by a shadow falling across the table.He looked up.Gillian Prewett stood over him.He looked down again.Gillian pulled out a chair and sat.

"It's not over yet," she said quietly.

"Do you have evidence to clear us, then?"Remus didn't look up.

"No," she admitted."But we're going to get it."

"In twenty hours?"Remus now looked her in the face."You know, when I met you, I thought we might have a chance.But now, my friends are going to die, and I frankly don't care to win."

"They aren't going to kill Jenny if I can help it," Gillian said grimly."We're going now.I need your help."

"Going where?I can't leave Diagon Alley."

"I know what I'm doing.Now, do you want to help Jenny or not?"Gillian stared at him.He shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze.

"Of course I do."

"Then come on.We're wasting time."

Jenny held her head high as she was marched from her cell to a room some ways off.She had not slept or eaten in the past two days.The night before, she had asked for pen and ink so that she could write a farewell to her children.She had wept many tears while writing it; not for herself, but for her children, who would soon be without mother or father, and for Sirius, who was doomed as well.

"If I could just see them one last time," she whispered to herself.Perhaps Gillian would be able to get Remus off.He'd look after her children, if he could.And they'd have enough money…but she would never get to see them grown, with families of their own.She'd never see them again.But she refused to weep in front of her executioners.

There were several men in the room; the late sun sloped in through a huge stained glass window at the end of the place.She held her head high.She noticed that Fudge kept glancing around nervously, as if he were expecting someone to appear at any moment.

The moments flew past as she did not listen to words being read.Then, suddenly, everything was ready.

_Were you so terrified, Lily when you defended your son from Voldemort? she wondered. __Mum, did you feel this fear when they killed you?Elsie, were you such a coward?Her mind reflected on all the people who she had known who had been killed.__Now it's my turn.For some reason, she was beginning to feel calm.__There were a few things that made me sad, but I've had a good life.I've had wonderful friends.I married the man I loved.I had two wonderful children.After all, I should have died years ago.I've had all these extra years.She straightened her head, closed her eyes, and waited._

There was a great crashing, and confused shouts from men.She opened her eyes and saw-

"Sirius!" she cried.He had flown his motorbike right in the stained glass window, which lay in shards all over the floor.Several of the Hit Wizards were down, apparently knocked out.He froze another mid-curse.Jenny ran, picked up the wand the wizard had dropped, and began to use various spells on others.Finally, Sirius put the Full-Body Bind on Fudge, who dropped like a stone, and there were no more to deal with.

Jenny ran and embraced Sirius, tears running down her face.

"I was so scared," she whispered.He patted her back gently.

"Let's get out of here," he suggested.

"How touching," a cold voice said from the door. Jenny and Sirius turned and saw Snape standing there."I thought you'd come for her, Black.That's why I took the liberty of hiding a few dozen wizards in that back room."As he spoke, they heard a door open behind them.

"Freeze!" a voice yelled."Drop your wands and put your hands up."Jenny glanced at Sirius, who looked at her and almost grinned.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted," he said quietly."I knew it probably wasn't going to work… but there wasn't anything else I could think of."

Snape smiled cruelly."Put them both in cells," he instructed the hit wizards."I'll be speaking to the Minister about them as soon as I take this spell off him."He bent over the frozen Fudge, who had an expression of surprise fastened to his face.Jenny heard him muttering the counter-charm as the guards led her away.

Oh my, another cliffhanger.I wonder what might happen next? (Don't worry, Moon, Remus will not go to Azkaban.)Do Jenny and Sirius live?Is Remus alive?Who is Z?Tune in next time to find out the answers, in the startling conclusion to Double Trouble!That's right, just one more section of slush and you can all go home happy.Or miserable.Anyway, all LIR members please review, along with the League of Pettigrew Haters – but that's everyone, to answer several questions, as I don't think anyone likes the rat.That's all for now, people!

Oh – and before I forget, you better know who this belongs to by now.It's J.K. Rowling, of course – and less than five weeks left until the big day!Hope you have it marked on your calendar as I do.

Katie Bell 


	10. Endgame Antics

Remus groaned as he regained consciousness. A throbbing pain in one temple told him that his head was still on, and the ache in his legs let him know they were there as well. He forced his memory back….

After leaving the Leaky Cauldron, he had followed Gillian up Diagon Alley, not asking where they were going, until she made to turn off.

"That's Knockturn Alley!" he said sharply.

"That's right," Gillian said calmly. "That's where we've got to go." She glanced at him. "Do you want to help your friends or not?"

"Oh, I do, of course," he said. She turned and continued; he followed. He'd been down Knockturn Alley several times, and hadn't liked it at all. Nor did he find it improved now; it still was dark, dingy, and reeking of evil.

Gillian led the way unerringly to a small door in one of the forbidding-looking buildings. She pushed it open and walked in. Inside was a desk, with an old man nodding behind it. He straightened up as they walked by, glanced at Gillian, and waved them on. Gillian led Remus up a rickety flight of stairs to a door at the top. She paused at the door, looking suddenly nervously. Remus touched the knob, opened it, and they went in together.

As soon as he passed the threshold, a heavy object came crashing down on his head.

Now, as he lay in a cold, dark place, he thought about it. Suddenly, he became aware that he was not alone; someone else was breathing nearby.

"Hello?" he said.

"Oh, Remus!" Gillian exclaimed from close by. "I was afraid they'd killed you."

"Who?" He sat up and tried to make his way to her.

"Voldemort's people."

"They ambushed us?" He encountered a wall of bars.

"They must have discovered that I wasn't working for them," she said.

"Say what?" He was quite puzzled.

"I told you and Jenny that I knew an agent who was working against Voldemort. The truth is, I am that agent. My job made it easy for me to make contact with them, to feed them carefully selected information." She sighed. "I hated it, every time. It – it was terrifying, really. I met many high-level people in Voldemort's organization. I never met him though – and am grateful for that." She shuddered, then continued. "I was hoping to get that information and get us out of there… I suppose I failed."

"How long have we been here?" Remus asked sharply. He remembered, suddenly, Jenny's scheduled execution.

"I don't know," Gillian said slowly. He could tell that she was hiding something.

"What is it?" he asked sharply.

"Remus - I don't know how long it's been, but it's been quite a time… I don't know if it's too late." She sounded sad. Remus closed his eyes.

"If it is, then there's nothing we can do. If it's not, we're running out of time. Let's try to figure out a way to get out of here." He pulled himself to his feet. "Any bright ideas?"

"No," she confessed. Remus heard her stand up. "How about you?"

"Not yet." He began to feel along the walls. "So, you're a double agent."

"Yes." He could hear her moving around. "I needed money, though. There was someone who promised to get me out of the country, find me a new identity… I was scared of what would happen to me if Voldemort's people found out the truth." She sighed. "Now they have, and I'm not that scared anymore."

"Good," Remus said. "There's no room for fear here. We've got a job and a deadline."

"I found the door to my cell," Gillian said. As she spoke, Remus felt the outline of a door as well.

"Me too," he said. He pushed it, not expecting it to open. It didn't.

"Locked, of course," Gillian said. She sighed.

"And without a wand, we can't unlock it." Remus kicked the door. It still didn't give.

"Shh- quiet!" Gillian hissed. A door had opened at the end of the dungeons, and someone was coming in, bearing a torch. It was a man; Remus had never seen him before. He stopped in front of Gillian's cell.

"Gillian - are you really on the other side?" He spoke sadly, and his tone showed disbelief. There was something else in his voice that Remus couldn't identify.

"Yes, I am, Steve." Her voice also held an odd note.

"I can't believe it!" He set the torch in a bracket on the wall. Remus saw the glint of keys on his belt, only a few feet away. _If Gillian could distract him, I might be able to get them._

"Believe it," she said simply. "I would never really work for the man who killed my whole family." Her voice now held scorn.

"Gillian - I could get you out of there." Steve's voice was eager, and his face hopeful.

"And risk Voldemort's wrath?" Gillian laughed harshly. "Come on, Steve, we both know you'd never risk that."

"I would." He took the keys off his belt and held them up. "I'll get you out, we'll get out of here, go far away."

"Why would you do that for me?" Gillian asked. Remus just watched, hoping she had some sort of plan.

"Because I love you, Gillian." The torchlight shone on the man's face; his eyes were shining. "I've always loved you, for as long as I've known you."

Something odd twinged in Remus' stomach. Why did he suddenly want to crush this little man like a cockroach? Was he -_jealous?_

"You love me?" Gillian asked in a strangely strangled voice.

"I do." He held up the keys. "Just say you'll come with me, and I'll get you out of here."

She seemed to consider it. "Open the door, then, Steve." He nodded eagerly, then opened the gate. Remus wondered what Gillian was doing. Was she going to leave him here? Not likely, but...

Steve took Gillian's hand and led her from the cell. She turned to him and put her arms around him, and he kissed her. That meant he didn't see what Remus saw; Gillian held a lump of stone, probably fallen from the wall. She brought it up over Steve's head and hit him, hard. He slumped to the ground.

Gillian opened Remus' cell then bent down to feel Steve for a pulse.

"He's alive," she said slowly. "I wish I hadn't had to do that. Steve is a decent man."

"He's working for Voldemort!" Remus said incredulously. "A decent man?"

"You don't understand," she said, whirling fiercely. "He - his only sister is being held by Voldemort's lackeys. If he doesn't do as they say, they'll kill her. And he was willing to risk that, for me. Oh, I'm sorry." This last was addressed to the unconscious Steve. "Help me put him in that cell, Remus." Once he was in, she locked the cell and put the keys on a hook nearby. "Maybe he can convince them we overpowered him," she said miserably. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Jenny stared around the Minister's office. It reflected the man who occupied it; cluttered with papers in neat piles and files stacked in an orderly fashion, yet stacked everywhere, it spoke of both neatness and disorganization. The little Minister sat behind his desk and fidgeted with papers as Jenny stared at him. She was alone with him; hit wizards, however, waited just outside the door. The Minister smiled in a vague way.

"You wanted to see me?" Jenny asked.

"Ah, yes. I wished to speak to you about the, er, sentence on your head."

"What about it?" Jenny asked. She felt oddly calm considering her impending death. _Perhaps it's because I've been almost killed so many times before._

"I might be able to, well, lighten it," Fudge said uncomfortably. "In exchange for whatever information you can give us…"

Jenny sighed. "First of all, I cannot give you any information because I am not working for Voldemort. Second, you're not offering this to Sirius, are you?"

"Of course not!" Fudge looked shocked. "Quite frankly, I'll have enough trouble getting you a lighter sentence. There are plenty of people who'd rather have you dead as well. And there is no way that we would risk having Sirius Black escape us again. No, no."

"Then there's no point in reducing my sentence." Jenny glared at him. 

"Now, I don't think that's the attitude to have." Fudge fussed more with his papers. "After all, you'd hardly want your children to be orphans at their ages?"

"You and the rest of the Ministry are intent on making them such," Jenny said fiercely. She had absolutely no intention of telling Fudge why it was that she would die if Sirius did. "If you'd only _listen_!"

Fudge was staring at her. "Well, if that's the way…" he trailed off, looking uncomfortable. "Very well."

"Will you at least let me see Sirius?" Jenny asked, crossing her arms.

"No, that's not possible," Fudge said.

"What about Remus? Gillian?"

"Remus Lupin and Gillian Prewett have vanished." Fudge looked up. "No one knows where they are." He signaled for the hit wizards to come in, and they led Jenny away, her mind full of thoughts. What was Remus up to? Might he be meeting with Gillian's agent? Perhaps they'd be able to get proof in time. Not that there was much time left…

"I can't believe it." That was the only thing I could think to say. James and I sitting by ourselves in the Gryffindor common room. Other students left us alone, talking among themselves, mostly about the news that Sirius Black had been captured and was to be executed.

"How can they?" James asked fiercely, rubbing his eyes. My tears were drained for now. "How can they execute Mum and Dad? They didn't do anything!"

"Can't we do something?" I asked desperately, glancing around. Harry and his friends were talking among themselves quietly. Hermione glanced over at us once, but they didn't move toward us.

"What? We're twelve years old, miles and miles away – there's nothing we can do."

"We can't just give up!" I got to my feet, clenched my fists. "There must be something we can do."

"Need a hand?" I nearly jumped out of my skin. Fred and George Weasley were looking at us from over a chair. "We told you that if you ever needed us, we'd pitch in." 

"Yes!" James said, glancing around to make sure no-one else could hear. "We need to get up to London, and fast. The execution's got to be stopped!"

"We thought you might say that," Fred grinned. "We've got something that could help."

"What?" I asked. I'd have jumped at any chance to save my parents right then.

"Come with us." Fred and George led us out of the Common Room, through darkening passages, and to a mirror on the fourth floor. George whispered something and stepped right through the glass. I stared.

"It's a passage," Fred explained as James stepped through. I followed suit.

"So we'll get off the grounds this way?" I asked.

"No," George said, picking up something from the floor. "It's caved in, no good as a tunnel, but it's a great place to hide stuff." He tossed aside the bundle he had been holding. "This is where we keep most of our – supplies," he said, grinning. "Ah, there it is." He hauled up a large roll of carpet.

"What is that?" I asked, staring at it.

"Flying carpet," Fred said proudly. "We enchanted it ourselves. Come on, we've got to get it up to the west tower – that should be deserted." He picked up one end and his brother took the other. Then we left the mirror and headed upward, through passages and staircases.

At the top of the tower, Fred dropped his end of the carpet and George unrolled the whole thing. I glanced up at the stars, which were shining bright. _Oh, please, please, let us make it,_ I wished silently.

"Get on," George said, pushing us onto the rug. He and his brother stepped aboard too. "Now, up!" he yelled.

The rug leapt into the air. I shrieked. 

"Thanks," James said gratefully.

"It'll just help even the score we owe Mr. Moony and Company," Fred said with a wave of his hand. "Besides, we've always wanted to help with a rescue, haven't we?"

"Absolutely," George agreed, grinning. 

"What will we do once we've gotten them out of prison?" James asked.

"We'll take it one step at a time," Fred said. "The first thing to do is get to London before it's too late."

"What will happen if someone finds out we're gone, and tries to stop us?" I wondered.

"Well, we should get to London before dawn. That's good, we should be able to find them before everyone at the Ministry shows up."

"Hold on." I had just had a nasty thought. "Ok, there's four of us. Who knows how many guards will be around Mum and Dad? We don't know where they're being held… there could be Dementors around them!"

"What else can we do, Lily?" James asked wearily. "At least, the two of us have to try… Fred, George, you two should just take the carpet and try to get back before anyone notices you're helping us."

"No way," George said, grinning. "We're in this all the way."

"Yes we are. I can just imagine what Mum's going to say." Fred also grinned. "Bet we get a Howler for this one!"

And so we headed south, flying a moth-eaten carpet on a crazy attempt at heroics. I did my best not to think of all the ways we could fail.

"I know where we are!" Gillian said excitedly. She and Remus turned a corner, looking for a way out of the dark fortress where they had been held. "This is Voldemort's castle! We can find those papers I was telling you about!"

"Where?" Remus glanced at her. Gillian's face showed her excitement.

"This way!" She darted around a corner, Remus trailing her. The castle seemed deserted. About halfway down a corridor, Gillian stopped. "In here," she said. They pushed the door open together and looked in.

It was a room fitted out as a study, deserted except for a large cat snoozing in front of a fire. It glanced up idly at them and then turned its attention back to its paws. Remus and Gillian began going through files.

"Look," Remus called, opening a drawer. "Our wands!"

"Oh, good." Gillian caught her wand and stuck it in her belt. She brushed back her hair and began to go through files again. "We've got to hurry, or they'll execute Jenny."

"Gillian," Remus began, holding up a piece of parchment, "Look at this." He handed it to Gillian. She read it, her eyes widening slowly.

"This is perfect!" she yelped quietly. "Are there more?"

"A whole file on Sirius… and a smaller on Jenny. I think these are alphabetical… yes, here's me!"

"What about me? I'd like to know what they have to say."

"Gillian Prewett, right here." He pulled it out. It was much thinner than Sirius', but thicker than Jenny's. He looked at the first page. "Hmm, yes. It's got a description of you here – they don't mention that you're pretty, though – and notes about you working for them."

"No time to read that now," Gillian said, snatching it from Remus. She'd gone rather pink at Remus' words. "Let's go."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," a cold voice said from behind them. They turned slowly. Lucius Malfoy had his wand pointed at them, smiling cruelly. "I'll just take those papers, and those wands," he began, walking toward them slowly. Behind him, the cat stretched and moved toward the door. Remus' brain frantically looked for a way out. Beside him, Gillian gave a sigh and handed Malfoy her papers. 

"I always knew you weren't truly on our side," he said coldly. "The dark lord will reward me for this."

He stared at Remus and Gillian, who seemed preoccupied with something behind him. "What-?" he began, but was cut off by a blow to the head that crumpled him to the floor.

"Thanks," Remus said to Professor McGonagall, who put down the small lamp she had just hit Malfoy with. She gave him a rare smile.

"You're fortunate that I was here," she said. "Dumbledore asked me to try to find out what was going on in here… seems that most of his spies have been discovered." Her eyes flickered to Gillian. "Someone in your organization is leaking information."

"Can we get out of here?" Gillian asked, stooping and collecting the papers that Malfoy had dropped. "We have to hurry, Remus, we're running out of time."

McGonagall held up a hand to stop them. "Hold on a bit. From what you two were saying before, you were looking for information on Sirius Black? What's going on?"

"Sirius is innocent, Minerva," Remus said. "As are Jenny and I. These files prove it. But we've got to hurry or they'll execute Jenny… we may be too late, even now."

"You're not," McGonagall said, peering out the door to make sure everything was clear. "The Ministry caught Sirius too and they delayed the execution. There are about a thousand questions I want to ask, but I'll wait until we have everything under control." She hurried from the room, Remus and Gillian following closely. Halfway down the hall, she transformed and once more was the cat.

Professor Dumbledore had hurried down to London to witness the execution, as Fudge had requested. After spending an hour trying without success to convince Fudge not to execute Sirius and Jenny, he asked to meet with the condemned pair.

Jenny's eyes showed a quiet desperation, a resignation to her fate, yet a tiny hope that he might be able to do something. Sirius' face was impossible to read, but his voice held steady as he asked Dumbledore:

"Isn't there anything you can do, Professor?" Jenny's eyes added silent pleading, and Dumbledore wished that he had some other answer to give them.

"I'm afraid not," he said slowly. "Fudge refuses to listen to me, and we have no proof…" He bowed his head. Sirius nodded once.

"Will you make sure my –our – children are all right, Professor?" Jenny asked softly. She seemed to be trying not to cry. Sirius took her hand gently.

"Of course I will," Dumbledore assured them. "I assure you, they will be taken care of."

"Thank you," Sirius said, his voice empty of the laughter that had once filled it.

"I'm afraid there's not much longer," Dumbledore said. "Fudge will be here soon… would you like me to wait here, or leave you alone?"

Jenny began to weep silently. 

"Alone, if you wouldn't mind," Sirius said firmly, staring at Dumbledore. Dumbledore nodded and left quietly.

"I'm just glad you're here with me," Jenny murmured. "I never wanted to die alone."

"Jenny," Sirius began, taking her other hand. "Just so you know, I have a lot of regrets. Marrying you is not one of them." He smiled.

"So this is the end," Jenny said, sniffing. "It's not how I imagined it at all."

"Never thought we'd be taken out by our own side, eh?" Sirius looked at her. "Well, there are worse fates."

"Yes," Jenny said. She wasn't scared to die anymore. They could both hear men talking outside the room now. Jenny squeezed Sirius' hands.

"Together, forever," he whispered.

"Forever, my love," she replied. She thought of so many things she'd like to say, but they were almost out of time. "I – I – "

"No regrets." He smiled at her. "Just happy memories, don't think about the bad ones." Jenny nodded and closed her eyes against tears.

There came a great clamor outside. Jenny opened her eyes and sat up straight, staring at the door.

A moment later, it burst open, and Remus hurried in. He wore an uncharacteristically large grin on his face.

"We did it!" he shouted, pulling Sirius and Jenny to their feet. "Gillian and I got the evidence – we had some help from McGonagall – and not even Snape can argue with it!"

"You mean –we're saved?" Sirius stared at him. "They- they know I'm innocent?"

"They know it," Remus confirmed. Jenny stared from one to the other, shocked, then began to laugh with relief.

"It's all over, then," she said happily. Sirius hugged her, then Remus. Gillian came in, followed by McGonagall. Jenny turned to Gillian.

"Thank you," she said, hugging Gillian, who smiled.

"I told you I'd do it," she said.

"I'm glad to hear that I was wrong about you, Sirius," McGonagall said, offering him her hand. He took it and grinned.

"Hey!"

"What's this?" 

Shouts and loud noises were coming from the outer room, and the occupants of the inner hurried in.

"James! Lily!" Jenny screamed, seeing her children engaged in battle with several hit wizards.

"What on earth are they doing here?" McGonagall wondered, staring at the Weasley twins. "And how did they get here?"

"Don't ask," Remus advised her. She sighed and nodded.

"Hold it!" Sirius bellowed. Everyone froze and then turned to look at him. He grinned.

"Mum? Dad?" Lily hurried over. "What is going on? I thought they were going to – to – "

"Don't worry, dear," Jenny said, hugging her daughter. "It's fine now. We're free. All of us." She smiled happily at Sirius and her son, who were helping a hit wizard to his feet.

"Oh," George said, looking almost disappointed. "Then you don't need us."

"Hold it," McGonagall said. "I want a room where we can sort all this out. Minister," she 

said, turning to Fudge, "Can you take us somewhere like that and leave us there?"

"Yes of course," he said, leading the way eagerly. Sirius stared after him in disgust.

"How on earth did you get someone like that for Minister?" he asked Jenny, raising his eyebrows.

"Don't blame me, I had nothing to do with it," she muttered back. "He is a bit of a bumbler." Sirius looked as if he were about to add more, but she gave him a warning glance and he subsided. 

The room Fudge led them to had several couches and plenty of comfortable chairs. Sirius sank into one immediately, and Jenny perched on the arm, dangling her legs. Fred and George took up two couches, stretching out on their backs and pretending to go to sleep. James and Lily sat near their parents, McGonagall took the last chair, and Remus and Gillian sat together on the only piece of furniture left, a couch.

"Now," McGonagall said, "Let's see if we can't work out what's going on."

"Where should we start?" Sirius asked.

"The beginning," McGonagall stated dryly. "Which as far as I can see it is some thirteen years ago?"

"More, I'd say," Remus said, glancing at Sirius. "Maybe in our fifth year at Hogwarts, when Sirius and James and Peter became Animagi."

"Animagi?" she asked levelly. Sirius nodded. 

"It was the only way we could be with Remus when he transformed," he said, as if this should have been obvious. "It took us a long time, of course, and Pettigrew would never have managed it without James and me." His face darkened with anger, and the expression spread to McGonagall's face as the story of Pettigrew's betrayal of the Potters unfolded.

"How could he?" she asked finally. "If I get my hands on him…"

"That line's pretty long," Remus said, leaning back and yawning. "Between Sirius, me, Jenny, Harry, and everyone else who's angry with him, he'll be buried in the thousand pieces that everyone thought Sirius blasted him into."

"I think I'd prefer just to see him in Azkaban," Sirius said darkly. "Let him see what it's like."

"Well, let's hear the rest of the story," McGonagall suggested. "How did you escape, and exactly what happened next?"

So Sirius continued, with occasional interruptions from the others in the room. When McGonagall heard from Fred and George, she actually smiled.

"I'm not sure whether to give you points or a detention," she said. "I think I'll let Dumbledore decide." Fred and George grinned.

"So now we can all go home," Remus said, smiling. "This whole thing is over."

"Not quite," a cold voice said from the door. They turned to see Elaida Malfoy standing there, a wand in her hand. "Expelliarmus!" she cried, and all the wands in the room flew from their owners. She held her wand steady and advanced.

"What are you planning?" Jenny asked, staring at her and standing up. "To kill us?"

"No," Elaida said, staring at her in return. "You're the only one I want dead here. I don't care about the others." She smiled coldly.

"So what are you going to do, kill me?" Jenny asked, not feeling frightened at all, perhaps because she'd escaped death so many times.

"I want to," Elaida whispered. "Oh, I want to… but I can't. So I've got a better plan." She smiled at James. "Why don't you go get your wand, boy?" James nodded and picked up his wand, then moved over to her. Jenny stared in horror at her son. His eyes had gone dead and cold and he seemed to be waiting for orders.

"Now," Elaida said, clearly enjoying this, "You see, Jenny, he's under my spell. There's nothing you can do about it."

From behind her, Sirius growled and tried to lunge at her, but couldn't. She smiled again. "An elementary spell… Jenny, you and I and your son are the only ones in this room who can move. And you can't escape."

"James!" Jenny said sharply. "Listen to me. Drop that wand." He didn't do anything.

"Why don't you go ahead and kill her, James?" Elaida said, smiling still. James lowered the wand at Jenny's heart.

"No!" Lily yelled. She pulled herself from her chair slowly, as if struggling against bonds. "James, don't!" She managed to make her way halfway to her brother, tears streaming down her face. "Please, James, don't."

"Kill your sister first, then!" Elaida hissed at James. Like a robot, he turned. 

"No, James, listen to me," Lily pleaded. "It's me, James! She's the bad one, she's the one who is your enemy. Please hear me, James. Please." She sobbed a little more as James took a step forward, lowered his wand, raised it partway, and lowered it again.

"Kill her!" Elaida yelled. "I order you to kill her!"

"James, please, fight her," Lily sobbed. "Throw away the wand, James. Throw it away."

He lowered it at her. Elaida smiled coldly and laughed, a short, cold laugh.

"So much for love doing anything," she sneered.

Then suddenly, James threw his wand across the room and collapsed to the floor. A cloud of smoke filled the room. Jenny began to cough, but hurried over to her children as best she could.

Both were alive; James had lost consciousness, and Lily was not much better. A hand fell on her shoulder and she looked up fast, but it was only Sirius.

"The spell vanished as soon as James threw away the wand," he said. "McGonagall caught Elaida."

"Good," Jenny said. "Here, we should get the children out of here."

"Right," Sirius said, lifting James easily. Jenny began to hoist Lily to her shoulders, and Gillian came over to give her a hand.

"We'll let Fudge and Dumbledore deal with her," McGonagall said, looking with distaste at Elaida, who had been petrified temporarily. Jenny couldn't help but give a little smile.

"What happens now?" Fred asked.

"You two go get that flying contraption of yours and get back to Hogwarts. If you're there when I get back, we'll forget about any detentions." McGonagall glared at them and the Weasleys gulped and ran off. "Looks like some of you may need medical treatment, though," she said, looking particularly at the twins, but also at Jenny, who looked rather pale.

"I'm fine," she assured her. "Just a bit tired, of course. Nothing a day or two of rest won't cure."

"You all need that," McGonagall said, glancing from one to the next in turn. "And I need to get back to Hogwarts before the Weasley twins arrive and blow it up in my absence." She sighed.

"What about us?" Lily asked weakly.

"Your mother can decide when –and if – you two come back to school," McGonagall said. "I'm sure you'll need time to recover." She turned and left. A moment later, Dumbledore appeared, the twinkle once more in his eye.

"I've sorted almost everything out with Fudge," he said, smiling. "Now I want to hear your story." He glanced at Elaida Malfoy. "All of it. But not this minute; it looks like those children need to be taken care of." He waved his wand and conjured up a pair of stretchers for the twins. Jenny and Sirius both looked worriedly at James.

"What happened to him?" Jenny wondered. "Elaida had some spell on him… how?"

"In the castle, she tried to convince us both to help her," Lily said sleepily. "She was using some magic… after a while she sent me away, but maybe she kept James there and worked on him more."

"Tell me what happened," Dumbledore said, examining James. After they were done, he straightened up and gave a reassuring smile.

"I think he'll be all right. Whatever charm she put on him is broken. I'm sure you'll want a healer to examine him, of course, but don't worry."

"Oh, thank goodness," Jenny said weakly. "I didn't know what she might have done." Her face darkened momentarily as she thought of Elaida.

"I'll take these two off to see the Healer – Fudge brought one in," Dumbledore said, smiling. "You four can sort out anything you have left." He led the twins off. Neither of them made so much as a murmur of protest.

"I think we've cleared up just about everything," Remus said, relaxing. "For the first time in – however long it's been – we can all sleep soundly."

"I'll see that you get the money as soon as possible," Sirius promised Gillian.

"Oh, no," she said, blushing. "I'm not going to need it anymore. No need for me to leave the country – I think I'll stay."

"Well, we expect you to at least come visit us," Jenny said sternly. "You can't do all this for us and not be a friend."

"I think I'd like that," Gillian said, not-quite glancing at Remus, who was also not quite looking at her. 

"And that's everything," Sirius said. "I hope. We can have Harry come and stay with us for holidays now, right?" Jenny nodded.

"Of course."

"So everything seems all right now." Sirius grinned. 

"Well, there is one other thing," Jenny said, dropping her eyes and trying to hide a smile. "I – er – haven't had a chance to mention it before, Sirius, but I – I'm pregnant."

You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed. It lasted about three seconds.

"You _what_?" Sirius asked, staring.

Remus laughed, long and well, at the expression on his friend's face. 

"So it's a very good thing your name is clear now," Jenny continued, "because I raised the twins alone, and I am _not_ doing that again. You can get up in the middle of the night now and then."

Now Gillian laughed. "You tell him, Jenny," she said. "I think we can go now."

"Good." Sirius stood up. "Let's go and get something to eat. Then, after that, I'll think about what you said, Jenny. That was a bit of a surprise."

Jenny muttered something under her breath. 

"What was that?" Sirius asked suspiciously.

"Nothing. Let's go to Florean Fortescue's."

"I thought we wanted dinner," Remus pointed out. "Not ice cream."

"I want a strawberry-peanut butter sundae," Jenny said firmly. " With caramel sauce and every flavor beans. And malt powder."

"That is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard," Sirius said flatly. "What makes you think they'll even fix that? And what makes you think you could eat that without getting sick?"

"I'm pregnant, I can eat what I want, and that's what I want." Jenny grinned at him. "Besides, it's not that weird."

"Gillian, are you coming?" Remus asked. Gillian looked at the others.

"Well, I don't know," she said. "After all, I'm sure you three want to talk…"

"Nonsense," Jenny said, taking Gillian's hand. "After all you've done for us! Come on, let's go."

Gillian smiled, and together, the four walked from the room.

****

The end, the end, the end! I'm so impressed with myself! That was an absolutely enormous story – longer than my "Lisa Goes to Hogwarts" epic. And no, I can't give you a wordcount, because I lost track and can't be bothered to go back and do it again. Thank you to everyone who stuck with this monster – most especially Blaise, who had no idea when she agreed to beta 'a short piece about James and Lily at Hogwarts' what it would become. I've been writing this piece since the middle of March, can you believe that? Thanks for your patience and encouragement, and especial thanks to you LIR members who make this writing thing worthwhile. Kudos to CLS for figuring out that Jenny was pregnant when even I wasn't too sure, and more thank yous to the Musketeers for being sounding boards and beta readers now and then. There, now I can stop annoying you about this story! 

The disclaimer is the same as it has been for the rest of this series. If you don't know it by now, you have the intelligence of a rock and belong in the LSR. 

Good day, all – it's been real.

Katie Bell


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